AQA AS BIOLOGY PAPER 1 STUDY GUIDE
SUMMARY WITH SOLVED QUESTIONS FOR
EXAM SUCCESS 2026
‣ What are the structures of an animal cell? Answer: Nucleus,
cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes.
‣ What are the structures of a plant cell? Answer: All structures from
animal cells and cell wall, permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.
‣ What does the nucleus do? Answer: Stores DNA and directs all cellular
activities.
‣ What is the cytoplasm do? Answer: Where most chemical reactions
take place.
‣ What does the cell membrane do? Answer: Holds the cell together and
controls what goes in and out.
‣ What is the mitochondria? Answer: Powerhouse of the cell where
aerobic respiration takes place.
‣ What are ribosomes? Answer: site of protein synthesis
,‣ What is the cell wall? Answer: Found on the outside of plant cells, it is
made of cellulose and strengthens the cell.
‣ What is the permanent vacuole? Answer: Found in plant cells, it helps
support the cell.
‣ What are chloroplasts? Answer: Site of photosynthesis.
‣ Do all plant cells have chloroplasts? Answer: No.
‣ What are the two main type of cell? Answer: Prokaryotic and
eukaryotic.
‣ What cells are eukaryotic? Answer: Plant, animal and fungal cells
‣ What cell is prokaryotic? Answer: bacteria
‣ What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Answer: prokaryotic cells are smaller, do not contain a nucleus genetic
material is instead in a single DNA loop and they contain small rings
called plasmids.
‣ What is a typical bacterial cell? Answer: Cytoplasm which takes over
job of mitochondria and chloroplasts, may be a flagella, plasmids are
present.
, ‣ How many micrometers are in a meter? Answer: 1,000,000
‣ What is a light microscope? Answer: A microscope that uses a series
of glass lenses and visible light to magnify an image. This microscope
magnifies images up to 1,000 times the actual size.
‣ What is a electron microscope? Answer: a microscope with high
magnification and resolution, employing electron beams in place of light
and using electron lenses.
‣ What is the formula for magnification? Answer: Magnification =
image size / real size
‣ What is cell division? Answer: Process by which a cell divides into
two new daughter cells
‣ Where are chromosomes found? Answer: nucleus of a cell
‣ How many chromosomes do humans have? Answer: 46 (23 pairs)
‣ What happens before cell division? Answer: The cell copies all of its
DNA
‣ What are stem cells? Answer: undifferentiated cells
SUMMARY WITH SOLVED QUESTIONS FOR
EXAM SUCCESS 2026
‣ What are the structures of an animal cell? Answer: Nucleus,
cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes.
‣ What are the structures of a plant cell? Answer: All structures from
animal cells and cell wall, permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.
‣ What does the nucleus do? Answer: Stores DNA and directs all cellular
activities.
‣ What is the cytoplasm do? Answer: Where most chemical reactions
take place.
‣ What does the cell membrane do? Answer: Holds the cell together and
controls what goes in and out.
‣ What is the mitochondria? Answer: Powerhouse of the cell where
aerobic respiration takes place.
‣ What are ribosomes? Answer: site of protein synthesis
,‣ What is the cell wall? Answer: Found on the outside of plant cells, it is
made of cellulose and strengthens the cell.
‣ What is the permanent vacuole? Answer: Found in plant cells, it helps
support the cell.
‣ What are chloroplasts? Answer: Site of photosynthesis.
‣ Do all plant cells have chloroplasts? Answer: No.
‣ What are the two main type of cell? Answer: Prokaryotic and
eukaryotic.
‣ What cells are eukaryotic? Answer: Plant, animal and fungal cells
‣ What cell is prokaryotic? Answer: bacteria
‣ What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Answer: prokaryotic cells are smaller, do not contain a nucleus genetic
material is instead in a single DNA loop and they contain small rings
called plasmids.
‣ What is a typical bacterial cell? Answer: Cytoplasm which takes over
job of mitochondria and chloroplasts, may be a flagella, plasmids are
present.
, ‣ How many micrometers are in a meter? Answer: 1,000,000
‣ What is a light microscope? Answer: A microscope that uses a series
of glass lenses and visible light to magnify an image. This microscope
magnifies images up to 1,000 times the actual size.
‣ What is a electron microscope? Answer: a microscope with high
magnification and resolution, employing electron beams in place of light
and using electron lenses.
‣ What is the formula for magnification? Answer: Magnification =
image size / real size
‣ What is cell division? Answer: Process by which a cell divides into
two new daughter cells
‣ Where are chromosomes found? Answer: nucleus of a cell
‣ How many chromosomes do humans have? Answer: 46 (23 pairs)
‣ What happens before cell division? Answer: The cell copies all of its
DNA
‣ What are stem cells? Answer: undifferentiated cells
