Mitosis and the cell cycle: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions

Every Edexcel International A Level Biology exam question on Mitosis and the cell cycle (specification points 3.14–3.16), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

All 77 questions on Mitosis and the cell cycle, as a list

June 2025, AS Unit 2, Q5(c)(i) (1 mark): State the relationship between the time in interphase and the number of cells. (1)
June 2025, AS Unit 2, Q5(c)(ii) (1 mark): Which is the correct percentage change in cell number from 0.0 to 1.0 µg cm–3 of PHA? (1) A –700 % B –87.5 % C +87.5 % D +700 %
June 2025, AS Unit 2, Q5(c)(iii) (3 marks): Explain the results of this investigation. (3)
June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q1(a) (2 marks): State the four stages of mitosis in the order in which they occur. (2) 1 2 3 4
June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q1(c)(i) (4 marks): Describe how a root sample could have been prepared and examined to obtain these results. (4)
June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q1(c)(ii) (2 marks): There were 98 cells seen in total in the samples from the seedlings in the solvent with trifluralin. Calculate how many cells were at stage 2 in the samples fro
June 2025, AS Unit 3, Q1(c)(iii) (3 marks): Explain the effect that trifluralin could have on the processes in mitosis. (3)
January 2025, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(i) (3 marks): Draw this cell to show it in metaphase of mitosis. (3)
January 2025, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Describe what happens in anaphase of mitosis. (2)
January 2025, AS Unit 2, Q4(c) (1 mark): The diagram shows the relative proportions of the time spent in each stage of the cell cycle. In these cells, cytokinesis takes 20 minutes. cytokinesis (15 ) mi
January 2025, AS Unit 2, Q4(d) (1 mark): State how the mitotic index of a tissue could be calculated. (1)
October 2024, AS Unit 2, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe what happens to DNA during interphase. (2)
October 2024, AS Unit 2, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name the stage of mitosis that follows prophase. (1)
June 2024, AS Unit 2, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): Interphase is the part of the cell cycle when mitosis is not taking place. Which of the following processes occur during interphase? 1. cell growth 2. genetic m
June 2024, AS Unit 2, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): The photographs show some stages in the cell cycle. 24 µm Scale W X Y Z V © J. L. Carson, Ph.D./SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Which row shows the correct sequence of th
June 2024, AS Unit 2, Q2(b) (2 marks): The mitotic index of a tissue was calculated. The tissue had 450 cells in mitosis and the mitotic index was 37.5%. Calculate the number of cells in this tissue
June 2024, AS Unit 2, Q2(c) (2 marks): Describe the events that occur during prophase of mitosis. (2)
June 2024, AS Unit 2, Q2(d)(ii) (1 mark): Give one role, other than for growth or repair, for new cells produced by mitosis. (1)
June 2024, Unit 5, Q8(e) (3 marks): Suggest how the skin cells ‘doubled in size to cover the area of the damage’ (paragraph 19). (3)
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(a)(i) (3 marks): Deduce the effect of age and sex on the number of cases of this cancer. (3)
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(a)(ii) (2 marks): A city had a population of 2 million people. Three per cent (%) of this population were males over the age of 80. Calculate how many of the males over the age o
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(b)(i) (1 mark): This sample was stained before being viewed using a microscope. State why the cells in this sample were stained before being viewed using a microscope, in order
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(b)(ii) (2 marks): Describe how the mitotic index of the tissue sample would be determined. (2)
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(c)(i) (1 mark): In which stage of mitosis do chromosomes start to condense? (1) A anaphase B metaphase C prophase D telophase
January 2024, AS Unit 2, Q7(c)(ii) (3 marks): The graph shows the effect of the mitotic index on the percentage survival for people with a type of cancer. 100 80 low mitotic index 60 Percentage survival (%)
October 2023, AS Unit 2, Q7(c)(i) (2 marks): Two thousand OVCAR8 cells were studied. Calculate how many OVCAR8 cells were in interphase. (2) Answer
October 2023, AS Unit 2, Q7(c)(ii) (1 mark): Which cancer cell culture has the highest proportion of cells undergoing nuclear division? (1) A HOC8 B OVCAR5 C OVCAR8 D SKOV3
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the stages of mitosis when chromosomes line up across the centre of the cell and when chromosomes separate. (1) Chromosomes line up Chromosomes separate .
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): Cell division takes place after mitosis. Compare and contrast cell division in animal and plant cells. (3)
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(b)(ii) (5 marks): Describe a suitable and safe procedure to obtain all the data shown in the graph. (5)
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(b)(iv) (2 marks): In control group cells 14.0 % are in mitosis. Calculate the percentage of cells in mitosis in those treated with lectin. (2) Answer %
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(b)(v) (2 marks): Comment on the conclusion that these results show that lectin does stimulate mitosis. Use the information in the graph and your answer to (b)(iv) to support you
October 2023, AS Unit 3, Q3(b)(vi) (2 marks): Justify the selection of a named statistical test to be performed on these data. (2) Statistical test Reason
October 2023, Unit 4, Q6(b)(iii) (3 marks): These scientists also looked at the length of the telomeres in the cells of these young lizards. Explain why the abundance of the longer lizards is affected by
June 2023, AS Unit 2, Q4(b) (1 mark): Structure A contained 60 cells. The mitotic index of cells from structure A was calculated as 15%. Calculate the number of cells in structure A which were in mi
June 2023, Unit 6, Q1(a) (1 mark): Name the stage of mitosis shown in cell X. (1)
June 2023, Unit 6, Q1(b)(i) (6 marks): Describe an experiment to measure the mitotic index of cells from onion roots treated with different concentrations of caffeine solution. (6)
January 2023, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Which stage of mitosis is shown in this blastocyst cell? (1) A cytokinesis B metaphase C prophase D telophase
January 2023, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(ii) (1 mark): State how the blastocyst cell was treated to show the stage of mitosis. (1)
January 2023, Unit 5, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name the type of nuclear division taking place as a tumour develops. (1)
October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): The unspecialised cell is diploid. State the types of division occurring at step A and step B. (2) step A . step B
October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q8(a) (3 marks): Describe the role of the cell cycle in producing new cells. (3)
October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q8(c) (2 marks): The cell cycle can be affected by various chemicals. One drug, used to treat various types of cancer, prevents the shortening of spindle fibres. Explain how pre
October 2022, AS Unit 2, Q8(d) (6 marks): Paclitaxel is a drug used to treat some tumours. In one study, the effect of paclitaxel on the cell cycle in human lung tumours was investigated. The table show
June 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Dividing cells can be taken from the body of a female Indian muntjac. Draw one of these body cells showing the arrangement of chromosomes in the anaphase stage
June 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): The diagram shows the relative proportions of time that a cell spends in each part of the cell cycle. cytokinesis (15°) mitosis (75°) interphase (270°) The cell
June 2022, AS Unit 3, Q2(a) (5 marks): Describe a safe method to observe the stages of mitosis in these roots. (5)
June 2022, AS Unit 3, Q2(b) (2 marks): The photograph shows part of a root tip from this investigation. (Source: © Rattiya Thongdumhyu/shutterstock) Calculate the mitotic index of this root tip. Give
June 2022, AS Unit 3, Q2(c)(ii) (4 marks): Describe how this investigation could be modified to determine if the differences between the mitotic indices are significant. (4)
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): In which part of the graph is the DNA being replicated? (1) A J B K C L D M
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): In which part of the graph would the condensation of chromosomes be completed? (1) A J B L C M D N
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Name the stage of mitosis when spindle fibres begin to form. (1)
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the role of the spindle in mitosis. (2)
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(b)(iii) (2 marks): Draw a plant cell undergoing cell division, after mitosis has just finished. (2)
January 2022, AS Unit 2, Q4(c) (2 marks): The photograph shows a section through a root tip, as seen using a microscope. (Source: © agefotostock / Alamy Stock Photo) Describe how to determine the mitoti
October 2021, AS Unit 2, Q8(b)(i) (3 marks): Compare and contrast metaphase in mitosis and meiosis. (3)
June 2021, AS Unit 2, Q3(a)(ii) (2 marks): Describe what will happen to these chromosomes when they enter the interphase stage of the cell cycle. (2)
June 2021, AS Unit 2, Q5(b)(ii) (1 mark): The number and size of the Golgi apparatus in the maize cell increases during one stage of the cell cycle. In which stage of the cell cycle would the number and
June 2021, AS Unit 2, Q5(b)(iii) (4 marks): Suggest why the number and size of the Golgi apparatus change during the cell cycle. (4)
June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(i) (4 marks): Describe how the mitotic index of roots can be determined. (4)
June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(ii) (3 marks): Seeds can be treated to artificially age them. In an investigation, untreated and treated samples of seeds were germinated and the roots allowed to grow. Roots
June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(iv) (3 marks): Identify the conclusions that can be drawn from these data. (3)
June 2021, AS Unit 3, Q2(b)(v) (2 marks): The graph does not show the standard deviations of the means for mitotic index. Describe how the investigation could be modified to allow standard deviations to
June 2021, Unit 4, Q8(a)(iii) (4 marks): Following the transplant, the patient was given immunosuppressive drugs. Immunosuppressive drugs weaken the immune system. Some of these drugs work by preventin
October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q3(a) (1 mark): The diagrams show cells from a plant. The cells are in different stages of division. These cells do not show the correct order for the process of division by mi
October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q3(b)(i) (4 marks): Explain the changes in the DNA content as shown by this graph. (4)
October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q5(a)(ii) (3 marks): Using the data in the table, determine the stages of cancer in patients P and R. (3)
October 2020, AS Unit 2, Q5(b) (3 marks): The graph shows the probability of survival for different stages of a cancer, after diagnosis. 100 Stage I 75 Probability of survival (%) Stage II 50 25 Stage I
January 2020, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): Give one reason why the cells were stained in this investigation. (1)
January 2020, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): The photograph shows these cells, as seen using a light microscope. Q R P S (Source: © Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library) Which labelled cell is in the m
January 2020, AS Unit 2, Q4(a)(iii) (2 marks): The table shows the results of this investigation. Stage Number of cells Interphase 117 Prophase 15 Metaphase 3 Anaphase 10 Telophase 5 Calculate the mitotic in
January 2020, Unit 4, Q8(b)(iii) (3 marks): Explain the importance of mitosis in the replication of the CAR-T cells in Step 4. (3)
June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q3(b)(i) (1 mark): Which cell is in prophase? (1) A P B Q C R D S
June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q3(b)(ii) (1 mark): In some embryo cells, interphase can last an average of nine hours. The diagram shows the relative proportions of time spent in each part of the cell cycle. cyt
June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q3(b)(iii) (1 mark): Calculate the total number of cells resulting from one cell dividing by mitosis eight times. (1) Answer
June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q3(c)(i) (1 mark): Vincristine prevents spindle fibres from shortening during mitosis. This leads to the death of the cell. At which stage of mitosis do the spindle fibres contrac
June 2019, AS Unit 2, Q3(c)(ii) (4 marks): Evaluate the effectiveness of the three drugs used in this investigation. Use the information in the graph to support your answer. (4)

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