Lesson 3.8.1.2

3.8.1.2 Stem cells and their use Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.8.1.2, Stem cells and their use: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 8: The control of gene expression, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which cells can totipotent stem cells differentiate into?

    • Placental cells only
    • Only blood cells
    • Nerve cells only
    • Any body cell

  2. Which cells can pluripotent stem cells differentiate into?

    • Only one type
    • Most cell types
    • All cell types
    • No cell types

  3. How many cell types can a unipotent stem cell produce?

    • Three cell types
    • All cell types
    • Only one type
    • Many cell types

  4. Where are totipotent stem cells naturally found in mammals?

    • Early embryos
    • Adult bone marrow
    • Mature tissues
    • Fetal brain

  5. How are induced pluripotent stem cells created from somatic cells?

    • Adding restriction enzymes
    • Removing cell nuclei
    • Exposing to radiation
    • Adding transcription factors

  6. Which property makes pluripotent stem cells useful for research?

    • Loss of genes
    • Instant differentiation
    • Fixed division limit
    • Unlimited division

  7. Why do cells become specialised during embryo development?

    • Random mutation
    • Chromosome loss
    • DNA degradation
    • Selective gene expression

  8. Bone marrow stem cells that produce only the types of blood cell are best described as:

    • Multipotent
    • Pluripotent
    • Totipotent
    • Unipotent

  9. What is a main medical advantage of iPS cells?

    • Prevents all mutations
    • Avoids embryo use
    • Replaces all organs
    • Requires no genes

  10. Which stem cell type produces cardiomyocytes in adult mammals?

    • Multipotent
    • Totipotent
    • Pluripotent
    • Unipotent

  11. What is a major ethical issue associated with using human embryonic stem cells?

    • Risk of rejection
    • Destruction of embryos
    • Low differentiation rate
    • High production cost

  12. What is a major clinical risk associated with stem cell therapies?

    • Organ duplication
    • Enzyme inhibition
    • Gene translocation
    • Tumour formation

  13. A totipotent cell divides five times in succession, with each daughter cell dividing again. How many cells result?

    • 10
    • 64
    • 32
    • 25

  14. Why do totipotent cells lose their ability to form any cell type as they develop?

    • Selective gene expression
    • Plasmid degradation
    • DNA loss
    • Chromosome doubling

  15. Which stem cells can differentiate into almost all cell types except placenta cells?

    • Multipotent stem cells
    • Pluripotent stem cells
    • Unipotent stem cells
    • Totipotent stem cells

  16. Why is claiming stem cells can cure all diseases an overstatement?

    • DNA is destroyed
    • Proteins are inactive
    • Cells cannot divide
    • Risks like rejection

  17. A pluripotent stem cell divides once every 24 hours and continues for 3 days with no cell loss. How many cells result?

    • 8
    • 6
    • 24
    • 3

  18. What key ethical advantage do induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) have?

    • No embryo destruction
    • No transcription factors
    • Infinite lifespan
    • Zero mutation rate

  19. Which type of stem cell can only differentiate into a single cell type?

    • Pluripotent stem cell
    • Unipotent stem cell
    • Totipotent stem cell
    • Multipotent stem cell

  20. How do genetically identical cells differentiate into different cell types?

    • Selective protein absorption
    • Differential gene loss
    • Random DNA mutation
    • Differential gene expression

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