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Quiz on Cell Cycle

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A cell that has left the cycle and is not preparing to divide is in…

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with any school, textbook publisher or curriculum. Bank checked September 24, 2026.

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Interphase and the cycle 10

  • A cell that has left the cycle and is not preparing to divide is in… Answer: G0. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In a rapidly dividing human cell with a 24-hour cycle, which phase is shortest? Answer: M phase, about half an hour. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage is the DNA copied? Answer: S phase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Two identical copies of a chromosome joined at the centromere are called… Answer: Sister chromatids. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What are the three stages of interphase, in order? Answer: G1, S, G2. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What are the two major phases of the cell cycle? Answer: Interphase and the mitotic phase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What does the cell cycle produce when a body cell divides by mitosis? Answer: Two genetically identical daughter cells. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What happens in the G1 phase? Answer: The cell grows and gathers building blocks and energy. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What happens in the G2 phase? Answer: The cell makes proteins and gets ready for mitosis. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Which structure is also copied in S phase and later forms the spindle? Answer: The centrosome. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
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Stages of mitosis 11

  • A cell's chromosomes sit in a single row across its equator. Which stage is it in? Answer: Metaphase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage are the chromosomes most tightly condensed? Answer: Metaphase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage do chromosomes first condense and become visible, as the nuclear envelope breaks up? Answer: Prophase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage do sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles? Answer: Anaphase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage do spindle fibres attach to the kinetochores? Answer: Prometaphase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage does a nuclear envelope re-form around each set of chromosomes? Answer: Telophase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In which stage does the cell visibly lengthen as polar microtubules slide apart? Answer: Anaphase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is the imaginary plane where chromosomes line up called? Answer: The metaphase plate. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is the order of the stages of mitosis? Answer: Prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is the protein structure at the centromere where spindle fibres attach? Answer: The kinetochore. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Which protein holds sister chromatids together until anaphase? Answer: Cohesin. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.

Cytokinesis and checkpoints 8

  • How does cytokinesis divide a plant cell? Answer: Golgi vesicles build a cell plate that becomes a new wall. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • How does cytokinesis divide an animal cell? Answer: A ring of actin pinches the cell in two at a cleavage furrow. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.2 The Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What happens when the cell cycle's controls fail? Answer: Cells can divide without control, which can lead to cancer. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is checked at the G1 checkpoint? Answer: Cell size, energy reserves, growth signals and DNA damage. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is checked at the G2 checkpoint? Answer: That the DNA has been copied correctly. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is checked at the M checkpoint? Answer: That every kinetochore is attached to a spindle fibre. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Which protein can stop a cell with damaged DNA at the G1 checkpoint? Answer: p53. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Which proteins, with their kinases (Cdks), push the cell through the checkpoints? Answer: Cyclins. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle. Read 2026-09-24.

Mitosis and meiosis 7

  • A cell with one set of chromosomes is called… Answer: Haploid. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • During which stage does crossing over happen? Answer: Prophase I of meiosis. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • How many cells does meiosis produce from one cell? Answer: Four haploid cells. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • In metaphase I of meiosis, what lines up at the middle of the cell? Answer: Pairs of homologous chromosomes. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • What is a tetrad? Answer: A pair of homologous chromosomes showing four chromatids. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Which two events in meiosis make gametes genetically different? Answer: Crossing over and independent assortment. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.
  • Why is mitosis used for growth and repair but meiosis for making gametes? Answer: Mitosis keeps the chromosome number; meiosis halves it. Source: OpenStax Biology 2e, 11.1 The Process of Meiosis. Read 2026-09-24.

How this list was compiled: Questions, wrong choices and explanations were written for this site. Facts were checked on OpenStax Biology 2e, sections 10.2 The Cell Cycle, 10.3 Control of the Cell Cycle and 11.1 The Process of Meiosis, read 2026-09-24; each question names its section. Licence: own work

How it works

This quiz on the cell cycle has 36 questions: interphase (G1, S and G2), the five stages of mitosis, cytokinesis in animal and plant cells, the three checkpoints, and how meiosis differs from mitosis.

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Four sets

Interphase covers G1, S, G2 and G0. Stages of mitosis asks what happens in prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. Cytokinesis and checkpoints covers the cleavage furrow, cell plate and cycle controls. The last set compares mitosis with meiosis.

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Practice brings a missed question back until you get it right. After a round, Print lists its questions: remove one, add more up to all 36, and tick With answer key.

  • PMAT order: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, with prometaphase between the first two.
  • S phase copies the DNA; mitosis only shares it out.
  • Meiosis: two divisions, four haploid cells, crossing over in prophase I.

Questions and answers

What are the phases of the cell cycle?

Interphase, made of G1 (growth), S (DNA copied) and G2 (getting ready), then the mitotic phase: mitosis (prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase) and cytokinesis. Cells that stop dividing sit in G0.

What happens at the cell cycle checkpoints?

G1 checks size, energy, growth signals and DNA damage. G2 checks that the DNA was copied correctly. The M checkpoint checks every chromosome is attached to the spindle before chromatids separate.

What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Mitosis makes two identical diploid cells for growth and repair. Meiosis has two divisions and makes four haploid gametes, each different because of crossing over and independent assortment.

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