AS Level Biology chapter 5: The mitotic cell cycle MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

21 exam-style questions on The mitotic cell cycle, 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.

21 questions · 2 topics · 10 per test

Test this chapter freeAll AS Level Biology chapters

What chapter 5 covers

Ten The mitotic cell cycle questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.

1. Cells in a culture contain either 6 pg of DNA, 12 pg, or an amount in between. A cell containing 9 pg of DNA is in which phase of the cell cycle?

  1. A
    S phase
  2. B
    G2 phase
  3. C
    anaphase
  4. D
    G1 phase
Show answer

Answer: A. DNA doubles from 6 pg to 12 pg during S phase, so an in-between amount such as 9 pg means DNA replication is under way. A cell in G1 has 6 pg and one in G2 or anaphase has 12 pg.

2. Which process relies on mitosis?

  1. A
    production of genetically varied offspring after fertilisation
  2. B
    formation of sperm cells from cells in the testes of an adult male
  3. C
    crossing over between homologous chromosomes during prophase I
  4. D
    growth of a clone of B-lymphocytes in an immune response
Show answer

Answer: D. Mitosis gives genetically identical cells, as needed when a selected lymphocyte multiplies. Gamete formation and variation involve meiosis.

3. What happens during anaphase of mitosis?

  1. A
    nuclear envelopes re-form around the two groups of chromosomes
  2. B
    centromeres divide and chromatids move to opposite poles
  3. C
    chromosomes condense and become visible as two chromatids
  4. D
    the cell surface membrane pinches in to divide the cytoplasm
Show answer

Answer: B. In anaphase the centromeres split and spindle microtubules shorten, pulling the chromatids to opposite poles.

4. Which proteins are DNA wound around in a eukaryotic chromosome?

  1. A
    histones
  2. B
    collagen fibres
  3. C
    tubulins
  4. D
    globins
Show answer

Answer: A. DNA coils around histone proteins, which allows it to be packed tightly. Tubulin forms spindle microtubules.

5. At which point in the mitotic cell cycle does the mass of DNA in each nucleus halve?

  1. A
    at metaphase, when the chromosomes line up on the equator
  2. B
    during S phase, as the chromosomes are replicated
  3. C
    at the start of prophase, as the chromosomes condense
  4. D
    in telophase, when two new nuclei form
Show answer

Answer: D. DNA doubles in S phase and stays doubled until the chromatids are separated into two new nuclei at telophase.

6. A photomicrograph shows an animal cell in which every chromosome, made of two chromatids, lies along the middle of the cell with spindle fibres attached to the centromeres. Which stage of mitosis is this?

  1. A
    telophase
  2. B
    prophase
  3. C
    metaphase
  4. D
    anaphase
Show answer

Answer: C. Chromosomes lined up across the equator with spindle fibres attached at their centromeres is metaphase. In anaphase the chromatids would be moving apart, and in prophase there is no line-up at the equator.

7. Which event happens during telophase?

  1. A
    the chromosomes line up across the equator of the spindle
  2. B
    the nuclear envelope breaks down and the spindle forms
  3. C
    nuclear envelopes re-form around the chromosomes
  4. D
    the centromeres split and the chromatids are pulled apart
Show answer

Answer: C. Telophase is roughly the reverse of prophase: chromosomes decondense and two new nuclei form.

8. A cell in G1 contains 12 arbitrary units of DNA. How much DNA does it contain in G2, and how much is in each daughter cell after cytokinesis?

  1. A
    12 and 6
  2. B
    24 and 24
  3. C
    12 and 12
  4. D
    24 and 12
Show answer

Answer: D. S phase doubles DNA to 24 units; mitosis and cytokinesis share it equally, so each daughter cell has 12, the same as the original G1 cell.

9. A human body cell has 46 chromosomes. How many chromatids are present in the cell at metaphase of mitosis?

  1. A
    23
  2. B
    46
  3. C
    92
  4. D
    184
Show answer

Answer: C. Each of the 46 chromosomes is made of two sister chromatids after S phase: 46 × 2 = 92.

10. What is the role of stem cells in tissue repair?

  1. A
    they divide by meiosis to produce cells that replace those damaged
  2. B
    they fuse with damaged cells and pass on their nuclei to repair them
  3. C
    they divide by mitosis and some of their daughter cells then specialise
  4. D
    they are already specialised, so they replace damaged cells directly
Show answer

Answer: C. Stem cells are unspecialised and keep dividing by mitosis; some daughter cells differentiate to replace lost or damaged cells.

Start the chapter testAbout the AS Level Biology test

Read the notes for this chapter

Ways to practise this chapter

The mitotic cell cycle: questions students ask

How many The mitotic cell cycle MCQs are there?

21, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 2 topics: Replication and division of nuclei and cells, Chromosome behaviour in mitosis. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the AS Level Biology chapter 5 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.

Keep going

← Chapter 4: Cell membranes and transportChapter 6: Nucleic acids and protein synthesis →All chaptersStuck? Ask a question