Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
Chapter 11: The Continuity of Life: Cellular Reproduction
Self Test
1. When a cell divides, what must it pass on to its offspring?
a. a complete set of genetic instructions (that is, one copy of every gene)
b. a complete set of messenger RNA molecules, so that the offspring cells can express every gene
c. cytoplasmic components needed for survival, such as ribosomes, RNA polymerase, and
organelles (in eukaryotic cells)
d. all of the above
e. Both the first and third answers are correct.
2. Which of the following statements about the chromosomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is true?
a. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have multiple chromosomes.
b. The chromosomes of prokaryotic cells contain a circular DNA double helix, but the chromosomes
of eukaryotic cells contain a linear DNA double helix.
c. The chromosome of prokaryotic cells is present in their nuclei, but the chromosomes of
eukaryotic cells are in the cytoplasm.
d. Chromosomes of eukaryotic cells are attached to the plasma membrane, but the chromosome of
prokaryotic cells floats free in the cytoplasm.
3. A duplicated chromosome contains __________.
a. two DNA double helices
b. two sister chromatids
c. four strands of DNA
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
4. Which of the following events occurs during the interphase portion of the eukaryotic cell cycle?
a. cytokinesis
b. DNA replication
c. chromosome condensation
d. metaphase
5. Which of the following correctly lists the order of the stages during mitosis?
a. metaphase, telophase, anaphase, prophase
b. anaphase, prophase, metaphase, telophase.
c. prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
d. telophase, metaphase, anaphase, prophase
6. During the process of cytokinesis in plants, __________.
a. carbohydrate-containing vesicles fuse in the center of the cell, eventually splitting the cell in two
b. microfilaments squeeze the cell in two
c. the cytoplasm moves from one spindle pole to the other
d. chromosomes move to opposite sides of the cytoplasm
7. Which of the following is NOT a function of mitosis in a multicellular organism?
a. growth from a fertilized egg
b. replacement of damaged cells
c. maintenance of tissues
d. production of gametes
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
8. A clone is __________.
a. an unnatural creature fabricated by unscrupulous scientists
b. any cell or organism that is genetically identical to another
c. an exact duplicate of an organism
d. produced by sexual reproduction
9. Alternate forms of a particular gene are called __________; they arise as a result of __________.
a. alleles, meiosis
b. mutations, mitosis
c. alleles, mutation
d. clones, sexual reproduction
10. Meiosis comes from a Greek word that means "to decrease." What decreases during the process of meiosis?
a. the size of chromosomes
b. the number of cells
c. the length of the DNA double helices
d. the number of chromosomes
11. During the process of meiosis, DNA is replicated __________, followed by __________ nuclear divisions.
a. twice, two
b. twice, one
c. once, two
d. once, one
12. During meiosis I, __________ separate; during meiosis II, __________ separate.
a. homologous chromosomes, sister chromatids
b. sister chromatids, homologous chromosomes
c. sister cells, gametes
d. DNA double helices, DNA double helices
13. Genetic recombination (crossing over) produces __________.
a. new chromosomes
b. mutations
c. new combinations of alleles
d. longer chromosomes
14. Sexual reproduction produces genetic diversity by __________.
a. creating new combinations of homologous chromosomes
b. creating new combinations of alleles
c. fusing gametes to form the diploid organism
d. all of the above
15. Imagine that you are looking at a eukaryotic cell in the microscope. When you examine the cell, you see that the
nucleus is not present and that chromosomes are condensed and lined up independently in the center of the cell.
What are the possible stages of division you might be observing in this cell?
a. metaphase of mitosis
b. metaphase of meiosis I
c. metaphase of meiosis II
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
d. metaphase of mitosis or meiosis I
e. metaphase of mitosis or meiosis II
16. Imagine that you are looking at a eukaryotic cell in the microscope. When you examine the cell's nucleus, you see
that the chromatin is spread uniformly through the nucleus—you cannot see chromosomes. Has the cell's DNA been
replicated yet? Explain.
a. The DNA has been replicated, because DNA replication occurs during interphase.
b. The DNA has not replicated, because DNA replication occurs after chromosome condensation.
c. You can't tell whether the DNA has replicated unless the DNA is condensed.
17. Which of the following chemicals would be potentially useful for treating cancer?
a. a chemical that prevents recombination
b. a chemical that prevents DNA synthesis
c. a chemical that inhibits pairing of homologous chromosomes
d. a chemical that induces mutations
18. Mating a male donkey to a female horse produces mules. Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62
chromosomes. How many chromosomes do mules have? Why are they sterile?
a. The mule has 126 chromosomes and is sterile because 126 chromosomes are too many to go
through meiosis.
b. The mule has 64 chromosomes, as does its mother. It is sterile as a result of mutations that
prevent sperm production.
c. The mule has 63 chromosomes and is sterile because the chromosomes cannot pair properly at
metaphase of meiosis I.
d. The mule has 63 chromosomes and is sterile because the chromosomes cannot pair properly at
metaphase of meiosis II.
19. Which of the following describes something that is unique to meiotic cell division?
a. growth (adding mass) of an organism
b. Genetically identical daughter cells are produced with each cell division.
c. Daughter cells contain the same amount of DNA as the parent cell.
d. Daughter cells contain half of the parental DNA..
20. To what does the term haploid refer?
a. chromosomes that contain the same genes
b. cells that contain a pair of each type of chromosome
c. a complete set of chromosomes from a single cell that have been stained for microscopic
examination
d. cells that contain only one of each type of chromosome
21. During what part of the cell cycle are chromosomes duplicated?
a. prophase
b. metaphase
c. anaphase
d. interphase
22. If a diploid cell replicates its DNA so that it now contains an amount of DNA equal to 4n, how does a haploid
gamete get a 1n number of chromosomes and a 1n amount of DNA?
a. There are two meiotic divisions and four daughter cells produced in meiotic cell division.
b. There is only one meiotic division and two daughter cells produced in meiotic cell division.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
c. There is only one meiotic division and four daughter cells produced in meiotic cell division.
d. none of the above
23. What events are responsible for the genetic variability seen in meiosis?
a. The direction in which a parental chromosome faces during metaphase I is random.
b. Homologous chromosomes exchange DNA with one another.
c. Homologous chromosomes exchange RNA with one another.
d. Both the first and second answers are correct.
24. Prokaryotic cells divide by undergoing a process called ____________________.
a. unitary fision
b. division
c. binary fission
d. asexual reproduction
25. Eukaryotic cells undergo a cellular division process called ____________________.
a.
b.
c.
d.
meiosis
binary fusion
splicing
mitosis
26. Gametes are produced by a special cellular division process called ____________________.
a. meiosis
b. mitosis
c. prokaryosis
d. asexual reproduction
27. During mitosis, sister chromosomes are connected to each other at the ____________________.
a.
b.
c.
d.
middle
central point
centromere
homologue
28. During metaphase, the paired chromatids are connected to opposite poles of the cell with structures called
spindle ____________________.
a.
b.
c.
d.
fibers
wheels
poles
needles
29. ____________________ are alternate forms of a given gene.
a. allotropes
b. DNA
c. alleles
d. gametes
30. Which of the following is a difference between sexual and asexual reproduction?
a. Asexual reproduction produces greater genetic variation than does sexual reproduction.
b. Asexual reproduction allows genes to be shuffled more readily than does sexual reproduction.
c. Asexual reproduction can occur more quickly than sexual reproduction.
d. Asexual reproduction cannot contribute to the growth of multicellular organisms, whereas sexual
reproduction can.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
31. The specific place on a chromosome where a gene resides is called a(n) ___________.
a. allele
b. centromere
c. homologue
d. locus
32. Which of the following would be an advantage of sexual reproduction?
a. Sexual reproduction promotes genetic variability, thereby increasing the probability that an
individual with new combinations of favorable traits may arise.
b. Sexual reproduction ensures that individuals will inherit the most desirable genes from both
parents.
c. Sexual reproduction ensures that offspring are as similar as possible to their parents.
d. There are no advantages to sexual reproduction; it is an evolutionary relic of an earlier stage.
33. What is the ultimate source of genetic variability in organisms?
a. sexual reproduction
b. DNA replication
c. homologous chromosomes
d. mutations in DNA
34. At which stage of mitosis are chromosomes arranged along a plane at the midline of the cell?
a. anaphase
b. telophase
c. metaphase
d. prophase
e. interphase
35. A diploid cell contains in its nucleus
a. an even number of chromosomes
b. an odd number of chromosomes
c. one copy of each homologue
d. either an even or an odd number of chromosomes
e. two sister chromatids of each chromosome during G1
36. Synthesis of new DNA occurs during
a. prophase
b. interphase
c. mitosis
d. cytokinesis
e. formation of the cell plate
37. Which statement is most correct?
a. All mutations are harmful.
b. Both mitosis and meiosis add to genetic diversity.
c. Crossing over helps each gamete get a different set of alleles in meiosis.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
d. Mitosis always makes diploid daughter cells; meiosis always produces gametes.
e. The only haploid cells are gametes.
38. When do homologous chromosomes pair up?
a. only in mitosis
b. only in meiosis I
c. only in meiosis II
d. in both mitosis and meiosis
e. in neither mitosis nor meiosis
39. Curiously, there is no crossing over of any chromosome in the male fruit fly Drosophila, which has four pairs of
chromosomes. How many different combinations of maternal vs. paternal chromosomes are possible in a male fruit
fly’s sperm?
a. 2
b. 4
c. 8
d. 16
e. many more than the above
40. This image depicts the steps involved in binary fission. Label those portions indicated.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
41. Add the missing cell cycle labels to the diagram below.
42. Identify the stages of mitosis depicted below.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
43. Mitosis differs from meiosis in some fundamental ways. Identify these differences by labeling the following
diagram of meiosis.
44. Compare mitosis and meiosis by labeling the events below.
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Biology: Life on Earth 7e
Student Self Test Questions and Answers
45. The two ends of a eukaryotic chromosome are called _________________.
telomers
46. After a chromosome is duplicated, it consists of two ______________ connected at the centromere.
Sister chromatids
47. If the diploid chromosome number of an organism is 24, its haploid chromosome number must be ________.
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48. The phase of meiosis during which chromosomes condense, and homologous chromosomes pair up is called
______________.
Prophase I
49. The phase of meiosis during which sister chromatids separate and move apart is called ______________.
Anaphase II
50. The phase of meiosis during which chromosomes are lined up individually at the cell's equator is called
______________.
Metaphase II
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