Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2014
Last exams 2024
1 markThe diagram below shows the different phases of the cell cycle.
Which of the following rows correctly identifies the phases of the cell cycle?
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| A. | Interphase: G1 | Interphase: G2 | Interphase: S | Nuclear division |
| B. | Mitosis | Interphase: G1 | Interphase: S | Interphase: G2 |
| C. | Interphase: G1 | Interphase: S | Interphase: G2 | Nuclear division |
| D. | Interphase: S | Interphase: G1 | Interphase: G2 | Mitosis |
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1 markWhich of the following processes involve mitosis?
growth, repair, semi-conservative replication
repair, growth, asexual reproduction
reduction division, asexual reproduction, growth
repair, reduction division, asexual reproduction
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1 markThe micrograph below show cells that are in various stages of the cell cycle.
Image courtesy of Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Reused and distributed under conditions found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Which of the following correctly identifies the different stages of mitosis that each of the labelled cells are in?
| P | Q | R | |
| A. | Prophase | Metaphase | Anaphase |
| B. | Metaphase | Telophase | Anaphase |
| C. | Telophase | Metaphase | Anaphase |
| D. | Prophase | Anaphase | Metaphase |
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1 markWhich of the following provides the best explanation of how cyclins were discovered?
It was discovered when Robert Hooke researched how proteins drive the progress of the different phases of the cell cycle
It was discovered accidentally when a group of German scientists studied the chromosomes of horse threadworms
It was discovered when Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann studied animal and plant cells under a microscope
It was discovered by chance when Tim Hunt researched protein synthesis in sea urchin eggs
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1 markThe following steps are involved in the formation of malignant tumours.
1. Tumour cells spread in blood and lymph
2. Rapid mitosis occur
3. Oncogenes arise due to exposure to carcinogens
4. The tumour increases in size
5. Tumour cells form secondary tumours throughout the body
Which would represent the correct order of the steps?
2 → 4 → 3 → 1 → 5
3 → 2 → 4 → 1 → 5
4 → 2 → 3 → 1 → 5
3 → 2 → 1 → 4 → 5
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1 markThe graph shows some mice cells undergoing DNA replication.
Some cells contain a protein called cyclin D which stimulates the activation of DNA polymerase.
Which of the following statements applies to the action of cyclin D?
Cyclin D is necessary for DNA replication to occur
High cyclin D levels speeds up DNA replication which could lead to cancer
Activation of DNA polymerase increases transcription of DNA which increases the rate of cell division
Cyclin D increases the proportion of cells undergoing DNA replication
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1 markThe table shows the number of chromosomes and the mass of DNA in different nuclei of a human body cell.
Which row in the table correctly identifies the number of chromosomes and mass of DNA found in the nucleus during the named stage of the cell cycle?
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1 markAn androgen receptor (AR) found in the cytoplasm of cells interacts with the sex hormone testosterone.
A repeating nucleotide base sequence, CAG, found in the gene for AR has been associated with the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The table below shows the results of two statistical tests which found an association between the number of CAG repeats and the risk of developing prostate cancer.
| Number of CAG repeats in AR gene | Association is significant at this probability level |
| ≤ 10 | 0.02 |
| ≥ 20 | 0.25 |
A null hypothesis stated that:
'There is no significant association between the number of CAG repeats and the risk of developing prostate cancer'
Identify the conclusion which can be drawn from the data in the table.
With 20 or more CAG repeats we can reject the null hypothesis
Prostate cancer is more likely with 20 or more CAG repeats, with a more than a 5% probability that the association is due to chance
With 10, or fewer than 10, CAG repeats the association is not-significant at the 5% probability level
With 10, or fewer than 10, CAG repeats the association is significant and there is a less than 5% probability that the association is due to chance
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1 markIn humans, cell division is regulated by several genes, one of which, p53, inhibits cell division at a particular checkpoint in the cell cycle through the following mechanism.
A heritable mutation in the p53 gene produces a dominant allele which inhibits the normal function of p53.
Which of the following explains the potential result of inheriting a mutant version of the p53 gene.
Increasing production of protein X results in a faster rate of cell division
Uncontrolled cell division resulting from the formation of more CDK-protein X complexes
Decreased synthesis of protein X resulting in uncontrolled cell division
Decreased transcription of protein X resulting in programmed cell death
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1 markSome scientists were investigating mitosis in plant cells. They applied a chemical agent called colchicine, which interferes with tubulin proteins in the cytoplasm. An image of some chromosomes from a treated cell can be seen below.
How does treatment with colchicine prevent the progression of cell division in plant cells?
Treatment with colchicine prevents cells from moving past interphase as chromosomes are decondensed
Treatment with colchicine prevents cells from moving into prophase as spindle fibres have not formed
Treatment with colchicine prevents cells from moving into anaphase as spindle fibres have not formed
Treatment with colchicine prevents cells from moving past metaphase as chromosomes are decondensed
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The photomicrograph shows cells in different stages of mitosis.
In which order do these stages occur?
4 → 1 → 3 → 2 → 5
4 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 5
4 → 3 → 5 → 1 → 2
4 → 5 → 1 → 2 → 3
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Which of the following does not happen in an animal cell cycle?
III only
I and III only
II only
IV only
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Tumors are formed from uncontrolled cell division of cancer cells.
Which statement describes the difference between a normal cell and a cancer cell?
Only cancer cells have mutated DNA.
Cancer cells do not undergo cytokinesis.
Cancer cells have a shorter interphase.
Cancer cells do not have metaphase.
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The cell cycle is shown in the diagram below.
If dividing cells are supplied with radioactive nucleotides, at which point will the nucleotides be incorporated into the chromosomes?
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What properties does a human cell have just before it enters prophase?
| Nuclear membrane present | Spindle present | Number of chromatids | |
| A | No | Yes | 92 |
| B | Yes | No | 92 |
| C | Yes | Yes | 46 |
| D | Yes | No | 46 |
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The graph shows the survival probabilities for current smokers and for those who never smoked among men 20 to 70 years of age.
What can be concluded from this graph?
Smoking causes cancer.
There is a correlation between smoking and cancer.
Smoking reduces life expectancy.
People who have never smoked can still die of cancer.
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Each of the following events takes place during mitosis.
| 1 | Chromosomes uncoil. |
| 2 | Chromatids move to opposite poles of the cell. |
| 3 | Centromeres divide. |
| 4 | Chromosomes line up along the equator of the spindle. |
| 5 | Two chromatids are joined by a centromere. |
In which order do the events take place?
| First →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Last | |||||
| A | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| C | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| D | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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The table below shows the number of cells in different stages of mitosis in a sample from a garlic root tip.
| Stage of mitotic cell cycle | Number of cells |
| Interphase | 80 |
| Prophase | 11 |
| Metaphase | 2 |
| Anaphase | 4 |
| Telophase | 3 |
What is the mitotic index for this tissue?
0.20
20
0.80
4
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The risk of developing a cancerous tumour is increased by exposure to which of the following?
| Ultraviolet light | Viruses | Carbon monoxide | X-rays | |
| A | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| B | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| C | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| D | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
Key: ✓ = increases risk, ✗ = does not increase risk
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The diagram shows the chromosomes of a squashed cell during mitosis.
Which stage of mitosis is the cell in and what is the haploid chromosome number of this species?
| Stage of mitosis | Haploid chromosome number | |
| A | Early prophase | 5 |
| B | Late prophase | 5 |
| C | Metaphase | 10 |
| D | Anaphase | 10 |
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