AS Level Biology chapter 1: Cell structure MCQs with answers
By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026
26 exam-style questions on Cell structure, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.
Cells as the basic units of living organisms14 questions
Ten Cell structure questions with answers
Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.
1. Which structure is found in a typical animal cell but not in a typical plant cell?
A
Golgi body
B
mitochondrion
C
centriole
D
cell surface membrane
Show answer
Answer: C. Centrioles are found in animal cells but not in the cells of flowering plants. Both cell types have a Golgi body, mitochondria and a cell surface membrane.
2. A drawing of a cell is 36 mm long. The actual length of the cell is 12 µm. What is the magnification of the drawing?
A
×30
B
×300
C
×3000
D
×30 000
Show answer
Answer: C. Convert to the same unit first: 36 mm = 36 000 µm, and 36 000 ÷ 12 = ×3000. Forgetting the conversion gives a wrong power of ten.
3. A transmission electron micrograph has a magnification of ×20 000. A mitochondrion on it is 30 mm long. What is the actual length of the mitochondrion?
A
0.15 µm
B
0.67 µm
C
15 µm
D
1.5 µm
Show answer
Answer: D. Actual size = image size ÷ magnification = 30 000 µm ÷ 20 000 = 1.5 µm. Dividing the magnification by the image size gives the 0.67 slip.
4. Which structure is present in both a typical bacterium and a typical animal cell?
A
nuclear envelope
B
cell surface membrane
C
endoplasmic reticulum
D
peptidoglycan cell wall
Show answer
Answer: B. All cells have a cell surface membrane. A bacterium has no nuclear envelope or ER, and animal cells have no cell wall at all.
5. A cell is 2 µm in diameter, has a peptidoglycan wall, 70S ribosomes and no nucleus. Which other statement about it is likely to be correct?
A
it contains 80S ribosomes attached to rough endoplasmic reticulum
B
it may contain small loops of DNA called plasmids as well as its main DNA
C
its DNA is linear and wound around histone proteins in a nucleus
D
it respires aerobically in mitochondria with folded inner membranes
Show answer
Answer: B. The features describe a prokaryote, which may carry plasmids. Linear DNA with histones, mitochondria and 80S ribosomes are eukaryotic features.
6. A student photographs a cell with a light microscope and enlarges the photograph ten times on a computer. Ribosomes still cannot be seen. Why?
A
ribosomes are only found in prokaryotic cells
B
ribosomes are larger than the limit of resolution of a light microscope
C
ribosomes are destroyed when a temporary slide is made
D
enlarging the image increases magnification but does not improve the resolution
Show answer
Answer: D. Ribosomes (about 25 nm) are far smaller than the 200 nm resolution limit of light microscopes; enlarging the photograph cannot add detail that was never resolved.
7. Which statement is true of all viruses?
A
they have a protein capsid enclosing DNA or RNA
B
they contain both DNA and RNA as genetic material
C
they are surrounded by a phospholipid envelope
D
they contain 70S ribosomes for making proteins
Show answer
Answer: A. Every virus has DNA or RNA (not both) inside a protein capsid. Only some have an envelope, and none have ribosomes.
8. Which pair of cell structures are both not surrounded by a membrane?
A
ribosomes and centrioles
B
lysosomes and ribosomes
C
centrioles and Golgi vesicles
D
mitochondria and chloroplasts
Show answer
Answer: A. Ribosomes (RNA and protein) and centrioles (microtubules) have no membrane. Lysosomes and vesicles have one membrane; mitochondria and chloroplasts have two.
9. Why must an eyepiece graticule be calibrated again whenever the objective lens is changed?
A
each division then represents a different actual length
B
the graticule scale is printed in millimetres and must be converted to micrometres each time
C
the stage micrometer moves relative to the eyepiece whenever the objective is rotated into place
D
the resolution of the eyepiece lens changes with each objective, altering the divisions
Show answer
Answer: A. The graticule sits in the eyepiece, so its divisions look the same at every magnification, but each division covers a different real length of specimen with each objective.
10. A white blood cell has engulfed a bacterium in a vesicle. Which organelle fuses with this vesicle and releases enzymes to digest the bacterium?
A
lysosome
B
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
C
nucleolus
D
Golgi body
Show answer
Answer: A. Lysosomes contain hydrolytic enzymes and fuse with the vesicle. The Golgi body makes lysosomes but is not what fuses with the vesicle.
26, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 2 topics: The microscope in cell studies, Cells as the basic units of living organisms. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.
Is the AS Level Biology chapter 1 test free?
Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.
How is the chapter test marked?
The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.
