Lesson 3.2.2.1

3.2.2.1 Binary fission and the cell cycle Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.2.2.1, Binary fission and the cell cycle: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 2: Cells, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What process must happen to circular DNA before a prokaryotic cell divides by binary fission?

    • Transcription
    • Translation
    • Condensation
    • Replication

  2. Which process divides a prokaryotic cell into two daughter cells, each with a single copy of the circular DNA?

    • Mitosis
    • Binary fission
    • Meiosis
    • Budding

  3. How are plasmid copies distributed between daughter cells during binary fission?

    • One per cell
    • In fixed ratios
    • In equal numbers
    • In variable numbers

  4. In which phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle does DNA replication take place?

    • Telophase
    • Prophase
    • Anaphase
    • Interphase

  5. How is main chromosomal DNA described in prokaryotic cells?

    • Linear without histones
    • Circular with histones
    • Linear with histones
    • Circular without histones

  6. Why are viruses unable to undergo cell division independently?

    • They are too small
    • They have no ribosomes
    • They lack DNA
    • They are non-living

  7. What structure does mitochondrial DNA have in eukaryotic cells?

    • Short and circular
    • Short and linear
    • Long and linear
    • Long and circular

  8. A bacterial cell contains a circular chromosome. After one complete binary fission, how many copies of the circular chromosome does each daughter cell contain?

    • Two
    • One
    • Four
    • Zero

  9. A bacterium divides by binary fission every 20 minutes. How many cells are produced from one bacterium after 2 hours?

    • 12
    • 32
    • 64
    • 128

  10. A culture starts with 500 bacteria that double every 30 minutes by binary fission. How many bacteria are present after 2 hours?

    • 16000
    • 8000
    • 4000
    • 2000

  11. What holds two identical sister chromatids together after DNA replication?

    • Telomere
    • Centromere
    • Chiasma
    • Centrosome

  12. Which stage of mitosis immediately follows metaphase?

    • Telophase
    • Interphase
    • Anaphase
    • Prophase

  13. Preventing spindle fibres from attaching to centromeres directly stops which process?

    • DNA replication
    • Chromatid separation
    • Chromosome condensation
    • Nuclear breakdown

  14. Cancer develops as a result of which uncontrolled process?

    • Cell differentiation
    • Cell division
    • Protein synthesis
    • DNA transcription

  15. Which structures form during eukaryotic mitosis but are absent in binary fission?

    • Nucleotides
    • Cell membranes
    • Ribosomes
    • Spindle fibres

  16. How do new virus particles form inside a host cell?

    • Binary fission
    • Meiotic division
    • Eukaryotic mitosis
    • Host cell replication

  17. How many copies of the main circular chromosome does each daughter cell receive in binary fission?

    • Variable numbers
    • Exactly one
    • None
    • Exactly two

  18. A eukaryotic cell with diploid number 2n = 8 has just completed DNA replication. How many DNA molecules does each chromosome now contain?

    • 4
    • 2
    • 1
    • 8

  19. A population of 100 bacteria doubles every 25 minutes. How many bacteria are present after 100 minutes if none die?

    • 3200
    • 1600
    • 800
    • 400

  20. Why may daughter prokaryotic cells contain different numbers of plasmids after division?

    • Plasmid destruction
    • Mutation of ribosomes
    • Unequal chromosome division
    • Variable plasmid distribution

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