Cell Division – Cell Division and The Cell Cycle: NEET MCQs with Answers

15 free questions on Cell Division – Cell Division and The Cell Cycle for NEET (UG), starting with previous-year NEET and AIPMT questions. Try each one, then tap Show answer for the answer and a short explanation.

Syllabus covered: Cell Division and The Cell Cycle

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Question 1

Previous-year question
Match the features in List-I with the phases of the cell cycle in List-II and choose the correct option. [Re-NEET 2024]
List-I:
A. Cells are metabolically active and proliferate
B. DNA replication takes place
C. Proteins are synthesised
D. Quiescent state with metabolically active cells
List-II:
I. G₂ phase
II. G₁ phase
III. G₀ phase
IV. S phase
  1. A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
  2. A-I, B-III, C-IV, D-II
  3. A-II, B-I, C-III, D-IV
  4. A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
Show answer
Answer: (D) A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
Explanation: In G₁ phase cells are metabolically active and proliferating (A-II); DNA replication takes place in S phase (B-IV); proteins are synthesised in G₂ phase (C-I); and the quiescent state with metabolically active cells is G₀ (D-III).

Question 2

Previous-year question
Match the phases of the cell cycle in List-I with the events in List-II and choose the correct option. [NEET (Sawaimadhopur) 2024]
List-I (Cell cycle):
A. G₁ Phase
B. S Phase
C. G₀ Stage
D. G₂ Phase
List-II (Events):
I. Cell is metabolically active but no proliferation until required
II. Replication of DNA
III. Synthesis of proteins
IV. Cell is metabolically active and grows continuously
  1. A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
  2. A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
  3. A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
  4. A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III
Show answer
Answer: (A) A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
Explanation: In G₁ the cell is metabolically active and grows continuously (A-IV); DNA replicates in S phase (B-II); G₀ cells are metabolically active but do not proliferate unless required (C-I); and proteins are synthesised in G₂ (D-III).

Question 3

Previous-year question
Which of the following is the quiescent stage of the cell cycle? [NEET (Manipur) 2023]
  1. M
  2. G₂
  3. G₁
  4. G₀
Show answer
Answer: (D) G₀
Explanation: Cells that do not divide further exit G₁ and enter an inactive stage called the quiescent stage (G₀); they remain metabolically active but do not proliferate. M, G₂ and G₁ are active phases of the cycle.

Question 4

Previous-year question
Read the two statements given below and choose the most appropriate option. [NEET 2023]
Statement I: During the G₀ phase of the cell cycle, the cell is metabolically inactive.
Statement II: The centrosome undergoes duplication during the S phase of interphase.
  1. Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.
  2. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
  3. Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
  4. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
Show answer
Answer: (C) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
Explanation: Cells in the G₀ (quiescent) phase remain metabolically active but no longer proliferate unless called on to do so, so Statement I is incorrect. In animal cells the centriole/centrosome duplicates in the cytoplasm during S phase, so Statement II is correct.

Question 5

Previous-year question
Match the phases/stages of the cell cycle in List I with their features in List II and choose the correct option. [NEET 2023]
List I:
A. M Phase
B. G₂ Phase
C. Quiescent stage
D. G₁ Phase
List II:
I. Proteins are synthesised
II. Inactive phase
III. Interval between mitosis and initiation of DNA replication
IV. Equational division
  1. A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
  2. A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III
  3. A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
  4. A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I
Show answer
Answer: (B) A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III
Explanation: M phase is the stage of equational division (A-IV); in G₂ phase proteins are synthesised in preparation for mitosis (B-I); the quiescent stage G₀ is an inactive phase with respect to division (C-II); and G₁ is the interval between mitosis and initiation of DNA replication (D-III).

Question 6

Previous-year question
Match the events given in column (i)–(iv) with the phases of the cell cycle in which they occur, and choose the correct option. [NEET (Covid-19) 2020]
Column I:
(a) G₁ phase
(b) S phase
(c) G₂ phase
(d) Metaphase in M-phase
Column II:
(i) Cell grows and organelle duplication
(ii) DNA replication and chromosome duplication
(iii) Cytoplasmic growth
(iv) Alignment of chromosomes
  1. (a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(iv), (d)-(i)
  2. (a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)
  3. (a)-(iv), (b)-(i), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iii)
  4. (a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
Show answer
Answer: (D) (a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
Explanation: G₁ – cell grows and organelles duplicate (i); S – DNA replication and chromosome duplication (ii); G₂ – cytoplasmic growth (proteins synthesised in preparation for mitosis) (iii); Metaphase – alignment of chromosomes at the equator (iv). Hence (a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv).

Question 7

Previous-year question
Identify the correct statement with regard to the G1 phase (Gap 1) of interphase. [NEET 2020]
  1. Reorganisation of all cell components takes place
  2. The cell is metabolically active, grows but does not replicate its DNA
  3. Nuclear division takes place
  4. DNA synthesis or replication takes place
Show answer
Answer: (B) The cell is metabolically active, grows but does not replicate its DNA
Explanation: G1 is the interval between the end of mitosis and the beginning of DNA replication; the cell grows and synthesises RNA and proteins but its DNA is not yet duplicated.
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Question 8

Previous-year question
Some dividing cells exit the cell cycle and enter a vegetative inactive stage called the quiescent stage (G0). This process occurs at the end of [NEET 2020]
  1. G1 phase
  2. S phase
  3. G2 phase
  4. M phase
Show answer
Answer: (D) M phase
Explanation: After completing the M phase the daughter cells may either re-enter G1 for another round of division or leave the cycle into G0.

Question 9

Previous-year question
The correct sequence of phases of the cell cycle is [NEET 2019]
  1. M - G1 - G2 - S
  2. G1 - G2 - S - M
  3. S - G1 - G2 - M
  4. G1 - S - G2 - M
Show answer
Answer: (D) G1 - S - G2 - M
Explanation: Interphase runs G1, then S, then G2, and is followed by the M phase in which karyokinesis and cytokinesis occur.

Question 10

Previous-year question
Cells in G0 phase [NEET 2019]
  1. exit the cell cycle
  2. enter the cell cycle
  3. suspend the cell cycle
  4. terminate the cell cycle
Show answer
Answer: (A) exit the cell cycle
Explanation: Cells that do not need to divide any further leave the cycle at the end of G1 and pass into the quiescent G0 stage, where they remain metabolically active.

Question 11

Previous-year question
During which phase(s) of the cell cycle does the amount of DNA in a cell remain at the 4C level if the initial amount is denoted as 2C? [AIPMT 2014]
  1. G0 and G1
  2. G1 and S
  3. Only G2
  4. G2 and M
Show answer
Answer: (D) G2 and M
Explanation: DNA reaches 4C at the end of S and stays at that level throughout G2 and through the M phase until anaphase separates the chromatids and cytokinesis restores 2C per daughter cell.

Question 12

Previous-year question
In the S phase of the cell cycle [AIPMT 2014]
  1. the amount of DNA doubles in each cell
  2. the amount of DNA remains the same in each cell
  3. the chromosome number is increased
  4. the amount of DNA is reduced to half in each cell
Show answer
Answer: (A) the amount of DNA doubles in each cell
Explanation: Replication during S phase doubles the DNA content of the cell from 2C to 4C, while the number of chromosomes remains unaltered.

Question 13

Previous-year question
In a somatic cell cycle, DNA synthesis takes place in [AIPMT 1994]
  1. G₁-phase
  2. Prophase of mitosis
  3. S-phase
  4. G₂-phase
Show answer
Answer: (C) S-phase
Explanation: In a somatic cell cycle the S-phase is the phase in which DNA is replicated. It occurs between the G₁-phase and the G₂-phase of interphase, well before the cell enters the mitotic phase.

Question 14

Previous-year question
Which typical stage is known for DNA replication? [AIPMT 1998]
  1. S-phase
  2. G₂-phase
  3. Metaphase
  4. G₁-phase
Show answer
Answer: (A) S-phase
Explanation: The S-phase or synthesis phase is the period during which DNA replication occurs. It lies between the G₁ and G₂ phases of interphase, and during it each chromosome comes to consist of two sister chromatids.

Question 15

Previous-year question
A bacterium divides every 35 minutes. If a culture containing 10⁵ cells per mL is grown for 175 minutes, what will be the cell concentration per mL after 175 minutes? [AIPMT 1998]
  1. 5 × 10⁵ cells
  2. 35 × 10⁵ cells
  3. 32 × 10⁵ cells
  4. 175 × 10⁵ cells
Show answer
Answer: (C) 32 × 10⁵ cells
Explanation: The number of divisions in 175 minutes is 175 divided by 35, which equals 5. Each division doubles the population, so the final concentration is 2⁵ × 10⁵, that is, 32 × 10⁵ cells per mL.

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