1 What are the appropriate units for measuring diameters of alveoli, diameters of white blood cells

and the width of cell walls?

diameters of diameters of width of

alveoli white blood cells cell walls

A mm µm µm
B µm mm µm
C µm µm nm
D mm
m mm nm

2 The diagram shows a stage micrometer scale on which the small divisions are 0.1 mm. It is
viewed through an eyepiece containing a graticule.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

The stage micrometer scale is replaced by a slide of a plant cell.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

What is the width of a chloroplast?

A 0.5 mm B 10 µm C 50 µm D 100 µm
3 The electronmicrograph shows a cell.

×5700

What is the actual diameter of the nucleus?

A 0.6 µm B 6 µm C 35 µm D 350 µm

4 What is the diameter of a typical plant cell?

A 4.0 × 101 µm

B 1.0 × 100 µm

C 4.0 × 102 nm

D 1.0 × 102 nm

5 A specimen is viewed under a microscope using green light with a wavelength of 510 nm.

If the same specimen is viewed under the same conditions, but using red light with a wavelength
of 650 nm instead, what effect will this have on the magnification and on the resolution of the
microscope?

magnification resolution

A decreased remains the same

B increased
ncreased increased
C remains the same decreased
D remains the same increased
 6 Which statements about light microscopes are correct?

1 To calculate the magnification of a light microscope the eyepiece lens and objective
lens magnifications are added together.
2 As the magnification increases the resolution decreases.
3 The resolution of a light microscope is limited by the wavelength of light.
4 The scale on a stage micrometer is resolved more clearly than an eyepiece
graticule.

A 1 2 and 3
1,
B 1, 3 and 4
1,
C 2 and 3 only
D 2 and 4 only

7 What is the diameter of a typical prokaryote, such as Streptococcus?

A 7.5 × 101 nm

B 7.5 × 102 nm

C 7.5 × 100 µm

D 7.5 × 101 µm

8 What best describes an electron microscope in comparison with a light microscope?

magnification resolution

A higher higher
B higher lower
C lower higher

D lower lower

9 What is the order of size of cell structures?

largest smallest

A e
centrioles ribosomes lysosomes nucleoli
B lysosomes nucleoli centrioles ribosomes
C nucleoli lysosomes centrioles ribosomes
D nucleoli centrioles ribosomes lysosomes
10 At approximately which magnification is light microscopy not suitable because the resolution
becomes too low?

A ×100 B ×200 C ×400 D ×1500

11 The diagram shows a stage micrometer viewed with an eyepiece graticule scale, using a
magnification of ×400.

0.1mm

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Using the same magnification, a chloroplast is measured and found to be 4 eyepiece graticule
divisions long.

How long is the chloroplast?

A 1.0 × 101 µm

B 4.0 × 102 µm

C 2.5 × 10–1 µm

D 2.5 × 10–2 µm
12 The diagram shows an electron micrograph of a plant cell.

What do structures X, Y and Z contain?

X Y Z

A air starch DNA and RNA

B cell sap chlorophyll protein
C mineral ions starch DNA and RNA
D water mineral ions starch

13 The eyepiece lens of a microscope is fitted with an eyepiece graticule.

Which statements about the graticule are correct?

1 It allows you to measure the actual length of cells.

2 It allows you to draw cells with correct proportions.

3 It changes in size as the objective lens changes from ×10 to ×40.

A 1, 2 and 3 B 1 and 3 only C 1 only D 2 only

14 The diameter of living cells varies considerably.

The diameter of a typical eukaryotic cell is 1.5 × 101 µm.

The diameter of a typical prokaryotic cell is 7.5 × 102 nm.

Using these measurements, what is the maximum number of each cell type which could fit along
a line 1 cm long?

number of white number of

blood cells Streptococcus cells

A 6.7 × 104 1.3 × 102

B 6.7 × 103 1.3 × 105
C 6.7 × 102 1.3 × 104
D 6.7 × 101 1.3 × 103

15 Which size ranges can be viewed using a light microscope?

1 2 3 4

1 nm 100 nm 1 µm 100 µm 1 mm

A 4 only
B 1 and 2 only
C 2 and 3 only
D 3 and 4 only

16 The diagram shows a mitochondrion drawn from an electronmicrograph.

The length of the mitochondrion from X to Y is 3000 nm.

What is the magnification of the drawing of the mitochondrion?

A ×100 B ×1000 C ×10 000 D ×100 000

17 The diagram shows a stage micrometer, with divisions 0.1 mm apart, viewed through an eyepiece
containing a graticule.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10

What is the area of the field of view of the microscope at this magnification? (π = 3.14)

A π × 12.5 × 12.5
1 × 102 µm2

B π × 50 × 50
5 = × 103 µm2

C π × 125 × 1
125 × 104 µm2

D π × 250 × 250
2 × 105 µm2

18 A light microscope is used to observe two membranes that are 200 nm apart.

How far apart are the membranes when the objective lens is changed from low power (×40) to
high power (×400)?

A 2 µm B 20 µm C 200 nm D 2000 nm
19 The electronmicrograph is of a chloroplast.

The length of the chloroplast along the line shown is 80 mm. The actual length of the chloroplast
is 10 µm.

What is the magnification of the chloroplast?

A ×8 × 102 B ×8 × 103 C ×8 × 104 D ×8 × 106

20 The diagram below is drawn from an electronmicrograph of an animal cell.

Which represents the same cell, seen under a light microscope at ×400 magnification?
21 An electron microscope has a higher resolution than a light microscope.

Which is a result of the higher resolution?

A the ability to produce larger images of cells

B the ability to see cristae in mitochondria
C the ability to see mRNA in all cells
D the ability to see the nucleus in eukaryotes

22 The diagram shows a chloroplast drawn from an electronmicrograph.

The length of the chloroplast from X to Y is 5000 nm.

What is the magnification of the drawing of the chloroplast?

A ×100 B ×1000 C ×10 000 D ×100 000

23 Eyepiece graticules and stage micrometers are used to measure cells.

Which is the correct reason why an eyepiece graticule is calibrated?

A An eyepiece graticule can be used to make measurements.

B An eyepiece graticule is magnified by the objective lens.
C An eyepiece graticule magnifies the specimen.
D An eyepiece graticule makes comparisons.
24 Which group of structures are visible in a suitably stained plant cell using a high power (x400)
light microscope?

centriole cilia mitochondria starch grains

A     key
B      = visible
C      = not visible
D    

25 The magnification of the photomicrograph is ×4000.

What is the actual size of the nucleolus?

A 1 µm B 2 µm C 5 µm D 20 µm
26 A microscope has a resolution of 200 nm. Which of the following organelles would not be
resolved using this microscope?

A chloroplasts
B lysosomes
C mitochondria
D ribosomes

27 Which range of sizes would include most eukaryotic cells?

A 1 × 102 nm µm

B 1 µm
mt × 101 µm

C 1 × 101 µm
mt × 102 µm

D 1 × 102 µm
mt × 103 µm

28 What restricts the resolution of the light microscope?

A the inability to cut very thin sections
B the low light intensity of microscope lamps
C the low magnification produced by glass
D the wavelengths of visible light
29 The diagram shows an electron micrograph of virus particles in a human nucleus.

virus particles

×24 000

What is the diameter of the labelled virus particles?

A 1.5 × 100 µm B 1.5 × 10–2 µm C 1.5 × 100 nm D 1.5 × 102 nm

30 A cell organelle measures 4 × 10–1 mm in diameter.

What is the diameter in µm?

A 4 × 101 µm B 4 × 102 µm C 4 × 103 µm D 4 × 104 µm

31 In the following table, which is the correct comparison between light and electron microscopes?
32 Plant cells are stained and then viewed through a light microscope.

Which structures would be clearly visible at a magnification of ×400?

A chloroplast grana
B lysosomes
C nucleoli
D ribosomes

33 Using a stage micrometer scale, one unit of an eyepiece graticule was calculated as 0.005 mm.
The diameter of a spongy mesophyll cell was counted as 3.5 units on the eyepiece graticule.

What is the estimate of the diameter of the cell?

A 0.18 µm B 1.8 µm C 18.0 µm D 180 µm

34 Which structures are measured using these units?

35 The diagram below is drawn from an electron micrograph of an animal cell.

Which represents the same cell, seen under a light (optical) microscope at ×400 magnification?
36 The diagram shows a stage micrometer, with divisions 0.1 mm apart, viewed through an eyepiece
containing a graticule.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10

What is the area of the field of view of the microscope at this magnification? (π = 3.14)

A π × 12.5 × 12.5
1 × 102 µm2

B π × 55 × 55
5 = × 103 µm2

C π × 125 × 1
125 × 104 µm2

D π × 250 × 250
2 × 105 µm2

37 When making measurements in experiments, which methods have parallax errors?

1 using a calibrated eyepiece graticule to measure length

2 using a measuring cylinder to measure volume
3 using a ruler to measure length of a shoot

A 1 and 2 only
B 2 and 3 only
C 3 and 1 only
D 1, 2 and 3
38 What describes the features of an electron microscope?

maximum
resolution / nm
m specim
magnification

A 2.5 × 103 2.5 × 102 dead

B 2.5 × 104 5.0 × 10–1 living
C 2.5 × 105 5.0 × 10–1 dead
D 5.0 × 105 2.5 × 102 living

39 The magnification of this electron micrograph is 5 × 103.

What is the actual size of the nucleolus?

A 0.2 µm B 0.5 µm C 2 µm D 20 µm
40 The diameter of living cells varies considerably.

Typical diameters are:

a prokaryote, such as Streptococcus - 750 nm

a eukaryotic cell, such as a white blood cell - 15 µm

Given these measurements, the diameter of the white blood cell is how many times greater than
the prokaryote?

A x2 B x 20 C x 50 D x 200

41 The diagram shows a graduated slide, with divisions of 0.1 mm viewed using an eyepiece
graticule.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Pollen grains were grown in a sugar solution and viewed using the eyepiece graticule. Diagram 1
shows the pollen grains at first and diagram 2 shows them after four hours.

diagram 1 diagram 2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

at start after 4 hours

What is the growth rate of the pollen tubes?

A 5 µmh–1 B 10 µmh–1 C 5 mmh–1 D 10 mmh–1

42 What is the resolution, in nanometres, of an electron microscope and of a light microscope?

43 The diagram shows a cell surface membrane. The lipid bilayer has an approximate width of
8 nm.

How many times has the diagram been magnified?

A 2.5 × 102 B 2.5 × 104 C 2.5 × 106 D 2.5 × 108

44 A lysosome measures 0.4 µm in diameter.

What is the diameter in nm?

A 4 nm B 40 nm C 400 nm D 4000 nm

45 What describes resolution in microscopy?

A the ability to distinguish between two objects that are very close together
B the clarity of the image formed by the microscope
C the number of times the image has been magnified by the objective lens
D the power of the microscope to focus on very small objects
46 What is responsible for the high resolution of the electron microscope?

A high magnification
B short wavelength of the electron beam
C use of heavy metal stains
D very thin sections

47 When making measurements in experiments, which methods could have parallax errors?

1 using a calibrated eyepiece graticule to measure length

2 using a measuring cylinder to measure volume
3 using a ruler to measure length of a shoot

A 1 and 2 only B 1 and 3 only C 2 and 3 only D 1, 2 and 3

48 Which combination of lenses for a light microscope will give the greatest magnification?
49 Which steps are needed to find the actual width of a xylem vessel viewed in transverse section
using a ×10 objective lens?

1 Convert from mm to µm by multiplying by 10–3.

2 Calibrate the eyepiece graticule using a stage micrometer on ×4 objective lens.

3 Measure the width of the xylem vessel using an eyepiece graticule.
4 Multiply the number of eyepiece graticule units by the calibration of the eyepiece
graticule.

A 1 , 2 and 3
B 2, 3 and 4
2,
C 1 and 2 only
D 3 and 4 only

50 The eyepiece of a microscope is fitted with an eyepiece graticule and a stage micrometer scale is
placed on the microscope.

Which statements about the stage micrometer scale are correct?

1 It allows you to measure the actual length of cells.

2 It allows you to calibrate the eyepiece graticule.

3 It changes in size as the objective lens changes from ×10 to ×40.

A 1, 2 and 3 B 2 and 3 only C 1 only D 2 only