EXERCISE-II

CELL BIOLOGY

Section A: NEST PYQs

1. A student was given three unlabelled permanent slides. In an effort to identify these specimens,she
kept them under the microscope and observed the following:
Slide 1: Unicellular,two well-defined nuclei,ciliated,without cell wall
Slide 2: Unicellular,chloroplast,one nucleus, biflagellate , with a cell wall
Slide3 :Unicellular,one nucleus,non-flagellated,with cell wall
NEST 2020

A. Chlamydomonas,Paramoecium,saccharomyces
B. Paramoecium,Chlamydomonas,saccharomyces
C. Amoeba, Euglena , Candida
D. Amoeba,spirogyra,aspergillus

2. Students in the bio lab were asked to find the size of a single cell.They were given a compound
microscope with an eyepiece of 15X magnification and an objective lens of 10X magnification. The
eyepiece has a scale of least count of 10um.
When students focussed the cell under the microscope ,they found that one cell measures 60 divisions
of eyepiece scale. What is the approximate size of a cell?
NEST 2016
A. 0.47um
B. 2.8um
C. 4um
D. 24um

3. A living cell is characterized by the presence of several cellular molecular processes. The correct
statements regarding living cells is:
NEST 2015
A. Nucleus is a characteristic feature of all living cells.
B. Anticodons are located on rRNA.
C. An mRNA sequence is never completely represented in its translated product.
D. Splicing of introns in prokaryotes takes place in cytoplasm.
4. Endoplasmic reticulum tubular, golgi apparatus is stacked flat cisternae, mitochondria are
oval-shaped. However lysosomes are spherical in shape. This is fundamentally a result of
________________.
NEST 2020
A. The propensity to minimize surface tension
B. Genes that regulate shape
C. highly acidic pH of lysosome
D. An increased surface area of signaling molecules

5. Mammalian sperm cells are highly specialized male gametes produced only for the
function of fertilisation. During spermatogenesis, these cells lose several subcellular entities
and retain only those which are absolutely essential. Therefore, the mature sperm cells from
humans will contain:
NEST 2019
A. 70S ribosomes,centrosome and microtubules
B. 80S ribosomes,mitochondria and vesicles
C. 55s ribosomes, centrosome and vesicles
D. 55s ribosomes, mitochondria and microtubules

6. The property that is not common to mitochondria and chloroplasts is:

NEST 2018
A. the machinery to generate ATP
B. the presence of double membrane
C. the presence of same set of electron acceptors
D. the non-mendelian pattern of inheritance

7. A selenium-activated protein P catalyses a metabolic reaction that results in release of two H+

ions. Expression of P is induced by lactose. In an experiment, cells were grown for 1 hour in
selenium and lactose containing media resulting in a net concentration of 106 M H+ per cell.
Selenium and lactose were removed from the media and cells were grown for another 10
generations. Assuming that all other proteins are expressed at a constant level, the net change in
pH inside the cell at the end will be
NEST 2020
A. 1
B. 3
C. 11
D. 6
8. You are provided with a bacterial culture (generation time of 30 min) in exponential
(logarithmic) growth phase. You transferred an aliquot of this culture to a fresh medium, which
now contains 3.2 x 106 cells/millilitre. Considering that this culture does not exhibit a lag phase,
and growth conditions remain unchanged, the cells/millilitre that you would obtain after 1.5
hours of incubation is
NEST 2020
A. 10.5 X 10^7
B. 2.56 X 10^7
C. 1.28 X 10^7
D. 3.20 X 10^7

9. If the mature egg cell of a diploid organism has 6 chromosomes, then the total number of
chromatids in the Anaphase I of meiosis would be
NEST 2020
A. 1.6
B. 24
C. 12
D. 3

10. The haemocytometer is a thickened glass slide with a small chamber of grids cut into the
glass and is used to count cells. Each chamber has a fixed volume and is etched into nine large
squares (see figure, P to X), each measuring 1 mm × 1 mm and 0.1 mm deep. Each large corner
square (P, R, V and X) contains 16 small squares. With a coverslip in place, each of these small
squares represents a volume of 0.1 mm³ (1.0 mm² area x 0.1 mm depth) or 10-4 cm³. The number
of cells counted in 4 large corner squares was 400, with the conversion factor as 1000.
Given this information, calculate the total number of cells suspended in a volume of 5 ml,
considering that the cells were diluted 1:2 before counting.
NEST 2019
A. 1.2×10^5
B. 2.2×10^2
C. 3.5×10^4
D. 1×10^6

11. The number of chromatids present in a human cell in the G2 phase, prophase, post -
cytokinesis and G1 phase, respectively are
NEST 2018
A. 92-92-46-46
B. 46-92-92-46
C. 92-46-46-92
D. 46-46-23-23

12. A piece of liver tissue is homogenized in a laboratory and the homogenate is subjected to
sequential centrifugation at increasing speeds (expressed in x g). Centrifugation is used to
separate subcellular components based on size and density. The steps carried out in the
experiment are shown below.

NEST 2017
Sediments 1, 2 and 3 would most likely contain:
A. 1: Nuclei
2: Ribosomes
3: Mitochondria
B. 1: Nuclei
2: Mitochondria
3: Lysosomes
C. 1: Lysosomes
2: Mitochondria
3: Nuclei
D. 1: Ribosomes
2: Nuclei
3: Mitochondria

13. The presence or absence of certain sub-cellular components in the cells of three organisms (P,
Q and R) is given below.

P, Q and R could most likely be:

NEST 2017
A. P: frog
Q: E. coli
R: garlic
B. P: rat
Q: yeast
R: onion
C. P: E. coli
Q: Paramecium
R: mushroom
D. P: Spirogyra
Q: Bacillus
R: yeast
14. The cellular structures absent in animal cells are:
NEST 2015
A. cell wall and glyoxysomes
B. mitochondria and golgi bodies
C. cell wall and centriole
D. cell membrane and golgi bodies

15. Each male gamete of a coconut plant has 16 chromosomes. The number of chromosomes
in a cell of the white pulp of coconut is:
NEST 2017
A. 16
B. 32
C. 48
D. 64

16. Unlike animal cells, plant cells are characterized by the presence of a large central vacuole.
The central vacuole performs a variety of functions during plant growth and development. One
of these functions is similar to that performed by lysosomes in animal cells. Which of the
following represent functions of vacuoles in plants?
(i) Storage of water and salts
(ii) Cell expansion
(iii) Storage of metabolic waste products
(iv) Degradation
NEST 2013
A. (i) and (ii) only.
B. (i), (iii) and (iv) only.
C. (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv).
D. (i), (ii) and (iii) only.

17. The endosymbiotic theory of evolution is based on a phenomenon in which one organism
engulfs another but does not digest it. Both organisms continue to live together in an
arrangement that is mutually beneficial. It is considered to be one of the key evolutionary
events that led to the development of higher eukaryotic organisms including plants and
animals. The organelles of a eukaryotic cell that are believed to have originated through
(such) early endosymbiotic events are
NEST 2012
A. Golgi bodies and chloroplasts.
B. chloroplasts and endoplasmic reticulum.
C. mitochondria and chloroplasts.
D. mitochondria and lysosomes.

18. Telomeres are nucleotide sequences at the ends of DNA molecules of eukaryotic cells.
Since linear chromosomal DNA gets shortened naturally after each round of replication,
telomeres protect the genes near the ends of DNA from being eroded. An enzyme, telomerase,
catalyzes the lengthening of telomeres. In which of the following cells do you expect the
activity of telomerase to be the highest?
NEST 2012
A. Differentiated cells
B. Stem cells
C. Actively respiring cells
D. Aging cells

19. The DNA content of individual cells and the number of cells in each phase of a "cell
cycle" can be determined using flow cytometry. Which of the following combinations of
"phase of a cell cycle and its corresponding DNA content" can be considered normal?
NEST 2010
A. Diploid cells found in the Go or G₁ phase
B. Cells with twice the normal DNA content in the early M phase
C. Cells with intermediate amounts of DNA in the S phase
D. Cells with twice the normal DNA content in the G2 phase

20. The bacterium Escherichia coli has a single circular DNA as its genome that has 4 x 10^6
bp. How many moles of DNA are present in each Escherichia coli cell?
NEST 2009
A 1 mole
B. 6.023 x 10^23 moles
C. 0.25 x 10^-6 moles
D. 1.66 x 10^-24 moles
21. Mitochondria are the sites of oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport. Hence, they
are known as the powerhouse of the cell. Select the correct statement about these organelles.
NEST 2009
A. They are present in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
B. They are present only in aerobic prokaryotes and all eukaryotes.
C. They are present in all living cells except viruses.
D. They are present only in eukaryotes.

22. A microscope has a 4x eyepiece and 44x objective. The magnification one can obtain is
NEST 2007
A. 44/4 = 11
B. 44 x 4 = 176
C. 44+4 = 48
D. (44)+(4)²=60

23. An experimenter intends to develop a small molecule drug for inducing polyploidy in a crop
plant species. The stage of the cell cycle that such a molecule should affect is:
NEST 2022
A. Go phase
B. S-phase
C. anaphase
D. telophase

24. Consider two spherical cells P and Q with radii of 1 micrometer and 0.01 millimetre
respectively. Choose the statement that is correct regarding these cells.
NEST 2022
A. Cell P has a surface area ten times greater than cell Q
B. The surface area to volume ratio of cell P is 10 times greater than that of cell Q
C. The volume of cell Q is 100 times larger than cell P
D. If the radii of P and Q is doubled then the volume and surface area is also doubled.
 SECTION B: KVPY PYQs

1. Which one of the following is explained by the endosymbiotic theory?

KVPY 2019
(A) The interaction between bacteria and viruses
(B) The symbiosis between plants and animals
(C) The origin of mitochondria and chloroplast
(D) The evolution of multicellular organisms from unicellular ones

1. (A)
2. (B)
3. (C)
4. (D)

2. Proteins P, Q, and R are associated with intact organellar membrane in a cell. If the intact
organelle is treated with a high ionic strength buffer, only protein R remains associated with the
membrane fraction. Based on this, one could conclude that
KVPY 2017
A. P and Q are peripheral membrane proteins
B. R is a peripheral membrane protein
C. P and Q are integral membrane bound proteins
D. P is peripheral and Q is integral membrane protein

3. Bacteriochlorophylls are photosynthetic pigments found in phototrophic bacteria, their

function is distinct from plant chlorophyll in that they:
KVPY 2010
A. do not produce oxygen
B. do not conduct photosynthesis
C. absorb only blue light
D. function without a light source

4. Mitochondrial cristae are the infoldings of:

KVPY 2018
A. outer membrane and they increase surface area
B. outer membrane and they decrease surface area
C. inner membrane and they increase surface area
D. inner membrane and they decrease surface area
5. Which one of the following statements is true about golgi apparatus?
KVPY 2018
A. it is found only in animals
B. it is found only in prokaryotes
C. it is site for ATP production
D. it modifies and target proteins to plasma membrane

6. Which of the following is incorrect w.r.t biological membrane?

KVPY 2016
A. it is composed of lipids and proteins
B. peripheral proteins are loosely associated with the membrane
C. integral proteins span the lipid bilayer
D. lipids and membrane proteins do not provide structural and functional asymmetry

7. Match the following organelles in group I with structures in group II.

GROUP I GROUP II
P. MITOCHONDRIA i. CISTERNAE
Q. GOLGI ii. CRISTAE
R.CHLOROPLAST iii. THYLAKOIDS
S. CENTROSOME iv. RADIAL SPOKES
KVPY 2016
A. P-ii Q-i R-iii S-iv
B. P-iii Q-i R-ii S-iv
C. P-iv Q-i R-ii S-iii
D. P-iv Q-ii R-i S-iii

8. Nucleolus is an organelle responsible for the production of:

KVPY 2013
A. carbohydrates
B. lipids
C. mRNA
D. rRNA
9. When hydrogen peroxide is applied on the wound as a disinfectant, there is frothing at the
site of injury, which is due to the presence of an enzyme in the skin that uses hydrogen
peroxide as a substrate to produce
KVPY 2012
A. hydrogen
B. carbon Dioxide
C. water
D. oxygen

10. The major constituents of neurofilaments are:

KVPY 2011
A.microtubules
B.actin filaments
C.intermediate filaments
D.protofilaments

11. If you fractionate all the organelles from the cytoplasm of a plant cell, in which one of
the following sets of fractions will you find nucleic acids?
KVPY 2011
A. nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast, cytoplasm
B. nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast, glyoxysome
C. nucleus, chloroplast, cytoplasm and peroxisome
D. nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplast, Golgi bodies

12. Mitochondria are associated with all of the following functions except:
KVPY 2009
A. ATP synthesis
B. DNA synthesis
C. Protein synthesis
D. Protein glycosylation

13. The chromosomal attachment site of the spindle microtubule is:

KVPY 2009
A. Centrosome
B. Liposome
C. Centromere
D. Telomere
14. The mode of action of penicillin is as follows:
KVPY 2009
A. it inhibits viral replication
B. it enhances immunity
C. it inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis
D. it inhibits transcription

15. Which of the following is true for meiosis?

KVPY 2009
A. one round of chromosome duplication and one round of cell division
B. one round of chromosome duplication and two rounds of cell division
C. two rounds of chromosome duplication and one round of cell division
D. two rounds of chromosome duplication and two rounds of cell division

16. This organelle consists of two granule-like centrioles and is found in animal cells only. It
helps in cell division. What is it called?
KVPY 2009
A. Centrosome
B. Centromere
C. Chromosome
D. Chromatids

17. A host cell has intracellular bacterial symbionts. If the growth rate of the bacterial symbionts is
always 10% higher than that of the host cell, after 10 generations of the host cell the density of
bacteria in host cells will increase:
KVPY 2010
A. by 10%
B. ten-fold
C. two-fold
D. hundred-fold
18. Of the following combinations of cell biological processes, which one is associated with
embryogenesis?
KVPY 2010
A. Mitosis and meiosis
B. Mitosis and differentiation
C. Meiosis and differentiation
D. Differentiation and reprogramming

19. In which phase of cell cycle are sister chromatids available as template for repair?
KVPY 2011
A. G1-phase
B. G2-phase
C. S-phase
D. M-phase

20. At which stage of meiosis-I does crossing over occur?

KVPY 2011
A. Leptotene
B. Zygotene
C. Pachytene
D. Diplotene

21. The process of cell death involving DNA cleavage in cells is known as?
KVPY 2011
A. Necrosis
B. Apoptosis
C. Cytokinesis
D. Endocytosis

22. Increasing the number of measurements in a cell experiment,will

KVPY 2011
A. increase the standard error of sample
B. increase the mean of the sample
C. decrease the standard error of sample
D. result in all of above
23. Human chromosomes undergo structural changes during cell cycle . Chromosomal
structures can be best visualized if a chromosome is isolated from a cell at:
KVPY 2012
A. G1-phase
B. G2-phase
C. S-phase
D. M-phase

24. 10^9 bacteria were spread on an agar plate containing penicillin. After incubation overnight at
37*C , 10 bacterial colonies were observed on the plate. That the colonies are likely to be resistant to
penicillin can be tested by:
KVPY 2013
A. Measuring their growth rate
B. Observing the colour of the colonies
C. Checking their ability to grow on another plate containing penicillin
D. checking their ability to cause disease

25. Brown fat is a specialized adipose tissue with abundant mitochondria and rich blood supply.
Brown fat :
KVPY 2013
A. Insulates animals that are acclimatised to cold
B. is major source of heat production in birds
C. provides energy to muscles
D. produces heat without producing ATP

26. Bacterial plasmids are genetic identities that

KVPY 2017
A. Have RNA as genetic material
B. Are capable of independent replication
C. Always require integration in their genome for their replication
D. Are non-transferable to some bacterial species
 SECTION C: IAT PYQs

1. Pick the incorrect out of the following statements regarding mitochondrion:

IAT 2017
A. The mitochondrial matrix contains a single circular DNA molecule
B. The mitochondrial matrix contains 70S ribosomes
C. The inner and outer membranes have identical sets of enzymes
D. The inner membrane forms infoldings called cristae

2. Which of the following statements best describe the Go phase of cell cycle?
IAT 2017
A. Cells in this stage are dying
B. Cells are highly proliferative
C. Cells are metabolically active but not dividing
D. Cells are proliferative but metabolically inactive

3. Meiosis involves :
IAT 2018
A. Two cycles of DNA replication and one cycle of each nuclear division and cell division
B. Two cycles each of DNA replication,nuclear division and cell division
C. One cycle each of DNA replication,nuclear division and cell division
D. One cycle of DNA replication but two cycles each of nuclear and cell division

4. Match entries in column I and column II.

COLUMN I COLUMN II
P. Golgi apparatus (i) Divide by fission
Q. ER (ii) Site of formation for glycoproteins
R. Cytoskeleton (iii) Steroidal hormone synthesis
S. Mitochondria (iv) Mechanical support
IAT 2018
A. P-2 Q-3 R -4 S -1
B. P-2 Q-1 R-4 S-3
C. P-1 Q-3 R-4 S-2
D. P-3 Q-4 R-1 S-2
5. Which one of the following helps in bacterial motility?
IAT 2019
A. Centrioles
B. Fimbriae
C. Microtubules
D. Flagella

6. The following events are associated with meiosis.

(i) Appearance of recombinant nodules
(ii) Formation of meiotic spindle
(iii) Formation of chiasmata
(iv) Formation of synaptonemal complex
IAT 2021
A. iv→ i→ iii→ ii
B. i→ iii→ iv→ ii
C. iv→ iii→ ii→ i
D. iii→ iv→ i→ ii

7. Match the human cell types or stages (column I) to the number of chromatids (column II).
Column I Column II
(a) G₂ phase cells (i) 46
(b) G1 phase cells (ii) 92
(c) Spermatogonia (pre-replication) (iii) 23
(d) Ovum

Which one of the following choices is correct?

IAT 2020
A. a-ii b-iii c-i d-ii
B. a-ii b-i c-i d-iii
C. a-ii b-i c-iii d-iii
D. a-i b-ii c-iii d-iii

8. Let ‘X’ be the perpendicular distance from the centromere of each chromosome to the equatorial
plane of a human cell. Which of the following stages of the cell cycle is most likely to have the
HIGHEST average value of ‘X’?
IAT 2022
A. Late anaphase
B. Metaphase
C. Early anaphase
D. Early metaphase
 EXERCISE-II
CELL BIOLOGY- Answer Key

NEST

1. B
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. D
11. A
12. B
13. A
14. A
15. C
16. C
17. C
18. B
19. A, B, C & D
20. C*
21. D
22. B
23. C
24. B

KVPY

1. C
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. D
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. D
10. C
11. A
12. D
 13. C
14. C
15. B
16. A
17. D
18. B
19. B
20. C
21. B
22. C
23. D
24. C
25. A
26. B

IAT

1. C
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. D
6. A
7. B
8. A