CELL BIOLOGY PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Q1. You are given a sample of cultured HeLa cells. Describe how you would prepare a slide to
visualize the actin cytoskeleton using fluorescence microscopy. Include steps from fixation to
mounting.
Q2. You have a suspension of lymphocytes. Using a hemocytometer and trypan blue, determine the
cell concentration and viability. Explain the calculations you would perform.
Q3. Outline a differential centrifugation protocol to isolate nuclei, mitochondria, and cytosol from a
mouse liver homogenate. How would you verify the purity of each fraction?
Q4. You are given a GFP-tagged protein. Design an experiment to determine whether it localizes to
the nucleus, mitochondria, or plasma membrane.
Q5. Describe a method to assess the distribution of cells in different cell cycle phases using flow
cytometry. Include sample preparation and the type of staining required.
Q6. Explain an experimental setup to measure active versus passive transport of glucose in cultured
epithelial cells. Include controls and expected results.
Q7. You need to detect a 50 kDa protein in a cell lysate. Describe the steps for SDS-PAGE and
Western blotting, including blocking and antibody incubation.
Q8. Given a primary antibody against tubulin and a fluorescent secondary antibody, outline the
steps you would take to visualize microtubules in fibroblasts.
Q9. Design an experiment to measure lactate dehydrogenase activity in cell lysates. How would you
construct a standard curve and interpret results?
Q10. You are provided with cells treated with an unknown drug. Describe how you would measure
mitochondrial membrane potential using a fluorescent dye.
Q11. Your mammalian cell culture shows slow growth and morphological changes. List potential
contamination sources and describe diagnostic steps.
Q12. Explain how you would isolate total RNA from cultured cells and assess its purity and
integrity.
Q13. You need to amplify a gene from cDNA. Outline the PCR setup, cycling parameters, and how
you would confirm the product by gel electrophoresis.
Q14. You transfect cells with a plasmid expressing GFP. Describe at least two methods to quantify
transfection efficiency.
Q15. Design a quantitative experiment to compare adhesion of two different cell types to collagen-
coated surfaces.
Q16. Describe a method to detect apoptosis in cultured cells using Annexin V and propidium
iodide. Include how you would interpret the flow cytometry data.
Q17. Explain how you would measure receptor-mediated endocytosis using fluorescently labeled
ligands. Include controls.
,Q18. You want to test the effect of a kinase inhibitor on cell proliferation. Outline a step-by-step
experimental design, including controls and quantification methods.
Q19. Describe how you would set up a time-lapse experiment to observe mitochondrial dynamics in
live cells. Include considerations for temperature, CO₂, and phototoxicity.
Q20. You have an unknown mutation in a signaling protein. Design a multi-step practical
experiment to determine whether the mutation affects protein localization, stability, or downstream
signaling.
Q21. You have a prepared microscope slide of onion root tip cells. How would you identify and
count cells in mitosis under a light microscope?
Q22. You are given a sample of blood. Explain how you would prepare a smear and identify red
blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Q23. Describe how you would use a pipette to accurately make a 1:10 dilution of a cell suspension.
Q24. You need to measure the growth of bacteria in culture over time. Which method would you
use, and how would you record the data?
Q25. Explain how you would use a simple staining technique to visualize bacterial morphology.
Q26. You are given a plant leaf. Describe how to prepare it to observe stomata under a microscope.
Q27. You have a suspension of yeast cells. How would you determine whether they are alive or
dead using methylene blue?
Q28. Describe how you would wash cells in a culture dish without detaching them.
Q29. You are provided with a solution of protein. Explain how you would determine its
concentration using the Bradford assay.
Q30. You are given a microscope with 4×, 10×, and 40× objectives. How would you focus on a
sample and switch to higher magnification safely?
Q31. Explain how you would prepare a wet mount of cheek cells to observe under a microscope.
Q32. You have a bacterial culture and need to streak for single colonies. Outline the steps you
would follow.
Q33. Describe how you would use a hemocytometer to count cells, including how to distinguish
between squares to count.
Q34. You are given a sample of cultured fibroblasts. How would you observe cell morphology
under a phase-contrast microscope?
Q35. You are asked to pipette 200 µL of a solution. Which pipette would you use and how would
you avoid errors?
Q36. Describe how you would perform a simple Gram stain on bacteria and identify Gram-positive
versus Gram-negative cells.
Q37. You need to observe the effect of hypotonic solution on red blood cells. How would you
design the experiment?
,Q38. You are given a prepared slide of epithelial tissue. How would you identify the different cell
types under a microscope?
Q39. Describe how you would make a serial dilution of a bacterial culture to prepare plates with
countable colonies.
Q40. You are asked to measure the pH of a culture medium. Which method would you use, and how
would you ensure accuracy?
Q41. You have two cell cultures treated with different drugs. How would you compare their growth
rates using a simple cell counting method?
Q42. You are provided with a bacterial culture that forms biofilms. Describe an experiment to
quantify biofilm formation.
Q43. Explain how you would isolate mitochondria from cultured cells using a centrifuge. What
checks would you do to confirm the fraction?
Q44. You have cells stained with a DNA dye. How would you estimate the proportion of cells
undergoing apoptosis using a microscope?
Q45. You need to measure the uptake of a fluorescent dye by live cells. Outline the steps and
controls for this experiment.
Q46. You are given a mixed culture of two bacterial species. How would you separate and identify
them using selective media?
Q47. Describe an experiment to compare protein levels in two cell lysates using a simple
colorimetric assay.
Q48. You are asked to observe the effect of temperature on cell membrane integrity. How would
you design the experiment?
Q49. You need to test whether a compound affects the cytoskeleton. Which staining technique
would you use, and how would you interpret results?
Q50. You are given a yeast culture. How would you determine the generation time experimentally?
Q51. You need to measure oxygen consumption in cultured cells. Describe a simple experimental
approach using available lab equipment.
Q52. You are asked to prepare a slide showing different types of human blood cells. How would
you distinguish them using staining?
Q53. You are given a plasmid and competent E. coli cells. Outline a simple transformation
experiment to express a visible marker.
Q54. You are asked to determine whether two proteins interact in cultured cells. Describe a practical
method you could use.
Q55. You have treated cells with a toxin. How would you measure cell viability using a colorimetric
assay like MTT?
Q56. You are asked to measure glucose uptake in cultured cells. Outline an experimental design
with controls and basic calculations.
, Q57. You need to compare the motility of two bacterial strains. Describe an experiment and how
you would quantify the results.
Q58. You are given a sample of plant tissue. Describe how you would prepare it to observe
plasmodesmata under a microscope.
Q59. You need to test the effect of osmotic stress on cultured cells. How would you design an
experiment and quantify cell response?
Q60. You are asked to examine the localization of a membrane protein in cells. Which practical
methods would you consider, and what are the advantages of each?
Q61. You are given cultured cells treated with two different concentrations of a drug. Design an
experiment to measure the effect on cell proliferation over 48 hours and describe how you would
analyze the data.
Q62. You need to investigate whether a protein translocates to the nucleus upon stimulation. Outline
the experimental steps using immunofluorescence and suggest appropriate controls.
Q63. You have a mixture of organelles from cell homogenates. How would you use marker
enzymes to determine which fraction contains mitochondria and which contains lysosomes?
Q64. You are asked to quantify mRNA levels of a gene under two conditions. Describe how you
would isolate RNA, perform cDNA synthesis, and use PCR for relative quantification.
Q65. You want to test whether a small molecule affects endocytosis in cultured cells. Design a
fluorescence-based assay and explain how to quantify uptake.
Q66. You are given an unknown bacterial strain. Describe a series of practical tests you would
perform to identify it at the species level.
Q67. You are asked to measure intracellular calcium levels in response to a stimulus. Describe the
experimental setup, including dyes and detection method.
Q68. You need to compare protein expression in treated versus untreated cells. Design an
experiment using Western blotting, including normalization and quantification steps.
Q69. You have a culture of cells treated with an oxidative stress inducer. Outline an experiment to
measure ROS levels using a fluorescent probe and controls.
Q70. You are asked to determine whether a transcription factor binds to a specific promoter in cells.
Describe a practical approach and how you would interpret results.
Q71. You are given two cell lines. Design a migration assay to compare their motility and describe
how you would quantify results.
Q72. You want to test whether a protein forms dimers in living cells. Describe an experimental
approach that could provide this information.
Q73. You are provided with cells transfected with a GFP-tagged protein. Design an experiment to
track its intracellular trafficking over time and explain how to analyze the images.
Q74. You need to investigate whether a drug affects cytoskeletal dynamics. Design an experiment
using fluorescence microscopy and suggest quantitative analysis methods.
Q1. You are given a sample of cultured HeLa cells. Describe how you would prepare a slide to
visualize the actin cytoskeleton using fluorescence microscopy. Include steps from fixation to
mounting.
Q2. You have a suspension of lymphocytes. Using a hemocytometer and trypan blue, determine the
cell concentration and viability. Explain the calculations you would perform.
Q3. Outline a differential centrifugation protocol to isolate nuclei, mitochondria, and cytosol from a
mouse liver homogenate. How would you verify the purity of each fraction?
Q4. You are given a GFP-tagged protein. Design an experiment to determine whether it localizes to
the nucleus, mitochondria, or plasma membrane.
Q5. Describe a method to assess the distribution of cells in different cell cycle phases using flow
cytometry. Include sample preparation and the type of staining required.
Q6. Explain an experimental setup to measure active versus passive transport of glucose in cultured
epithelial cells. Include controls and expected results.
Q7. You need to detect a 50 kDa protein in a cell lysate. Describe the steps for SDS-PAGE and
Western blotting, including blocking and antibody incubation.
Q8. Given a primary antibody against tubulin and a fluorescent secondary antibody, outline the
steps you would take to visualize microtubules in fibroblasts.
Q9. Design an experiment to measure lactate dehydrogenase activity in cell lysates. How would you
construct a standard curve and interpret results?
Q10. You are provided with cells treated with an unknown drug. Describe how you would measure
mitochondrial membrane potential using a fluorescent dye.
Q11. Your mammalian cell culture shows slow growth and morphological changes. List potential
contamination sources and describe diagnostic steps.
Q12. Explain how you would isolate total RNA from cultured cells and assess its purity and
integrity.
Q13. You need to amplify a gene from cDNA. Outline the PCR setup, cycling parameters, and how
you would confirm the product by gel electrophoresis.
Q14. You transfect cells with a plasmid expressing GFP. Describe at least two methods to quantify
transfection efficiency.
Q15. Design a quantitative experiment to compare adhesion of two different cell types to collagen-
coated surfaces.
Q16. Describe a method to detect apoptosis in cultured cells using Annexin V and propidium
iodide. Include how you would interpret the flow cytometry data.
Q17. Explain how you would measure receptor-mediated endocytosis using fluorescently labeled
ligands. Include controls.
,Q18. You want to test the effect of a kinase inhibitor on cell proliferation. Outline a step-by-step
experimental design, including controls and quantification methods.
Q19. Describe how you would set up a time-lapse experiment to observe mitochondrial dynamics in
live cells. Include considerations for temperature, CO₂, and phototoxicity.
Q20. You have an unknown mutation in a signaling protein. Design a multi-step practical
experiment to determine whether the mutation affects protein localization, stability, or downstream
signaling.
Q21. You have a prepared microscope slide of onion root tip cells. How would you identify and
count cells in mitosis under a light microscope?
Q22. You are given a sample of blood. Explain how you would prepare a smear and identify red
blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Q23. Describe how you would use a pipette to accurately make a 1:10 dilution of a cell suspension.
Q24. You need to measure the growth of bacteria in culture over time. Which method would you
use, and how would you record the data?
Q25. Explain how you would use a simple staining technique to visualize bacterial morphology.
Q26. You are given a plant leaf. Describe how to prepare it to observe stomata under a microscope.
Q27. You have a suspension of yeast cells. How would you determine whether they are alive or
dead using methylene blue?
Q28. Describe how you would wash cells in a culture dish without detaching them.
Q29. You are provided with a solution of protein. Explain how you would determine its
concentration using the Bradford assay.
Q30. You are given a microscope with 4×, 10×, and 40× objectives. How would you focus on a
sample and switch to higher magnification safely?
Q31. Explain how you would prepare a wet mount of cheek cells to observe under a microscope.
Q32. You have a bacterial culture and need to streak for single colonies. Outline the steps you
would follow.
Q33. Describe how you would use a hemocytometer to count cells, including how to distinguish
between squares to count.
Q34. You are given a sample of cultured fibroblasts. How would you observe cell morphology
under a phase-contrast microscope?
Q35. You are asked to pipette 200 µL of a solution. Which pipette would you use and how would
you avoid errors?
Q36. Describe how you would perform a simple Gram stain on bacteria and identify Gram-positive
versus Gram-negative cells.
Q37. You need to observe the effect of hypotonic solution on red blood cells. How would you
design the experiment?
,Q38. You are given a prepared slide of epithelial tissue. How would you identify the different cell
types under a microscope?
Q39. Describe how you would make a serial dilution of a bacterial culture to prepare plates with
countable colonies.
Q40. You are asked to measure the pH of a culture medium. Which method would you use, and how
would you ensure accuracy?
Q41. You have two cell cultures treated with different drugs. How would you compare their growth
rates using a simple cell counting method?
Q42. You are provided with a bacterial culture that forms biofilms. Describe an experiment to
quantify biofilm formation.
Q43. Explain how you would isolate mitochondria from cultured cells using a centrifuge. What
checks would you do to confirm the fraction?
Q44. You have cells stained with a DNA dye. How would you estimate the proportion of cells
undergoing apoptosis using a microscope?
Q45. You need to measure the uptake of a fluorescent dye by live cells. Outline the steps and
controls for this experiment.
Q46. You are given a mixed culture of two bacterial species. How would you separate and identify
them using selective media?
Q47. Describe an experiment to compare protein levels in two cell lysates using a simple
colorimetric assay.
Q48. You are asked to observe the effect of temperature on cell membrane integrity. How would
you design the experiment?
Q49. You need to test whether a compound affects the cytoskeleton. Which staining technique
would you use, and how would you interpret results?
Q50. You are given a yeast culture. How would you determine the generation time experimentally?
Q51. You need to measure oxygen consumption in cultured cells. Describe a simple experimental
approach using available lab equipment.
Q52. You are asked to prepare a slide showing different types of human blood cells. How would
you distinguish them using staining?
Q53. You are given a plasmid and competent E. coli cells. Outline a simple transformation
experiment to express a visible marker.
Q54. You are asked to determine whether two proteins interact in cultured cells. Describe a practical
method you could use.
Q55. You have treated cells with a toxin. How would you measure cell viability using a colorimetric
assay like MTT?
Q56. You are asked to measure glucose uptake in cultured cells. Outline an experimental design
with controls and basic calculations.
, Q57. You need to compare the motility of two bacterial strains. Describe an experiment and how
you would quantify the results.
Q58. You are given a sample of plant tissue. Describe how you would prepare it to observe
plasmodesmata under a microscope.
Q59. You need to test the effect of osmotic stress on cultured cells. How would you design an
experiment and quantify cell response?
Q60. You are asked to examine the localization of a membrane protein in cells. Which practical
methods would you consider, and what are the advantages of each?
Q61. You are given cultured cells treated with two different concentrations of a drug. Design an
experiment to measure the effect on cell proliferation over 48 hours and describe how you would
analyze the data.
Q62. You need to investigate whether a protein translocates to the nucleus upon stimulation. Outline
the experimental steps using immunofluorescence and suggest appropriate controls.
Q63. You have a mixture of organelles from cell homogenates. How would you use marker
enzymes to determine which fraction contains mitochondria and which contains lysosomes?
Q64. You are asked to quantify mRNA levels of a gene under two conditions. Describe how you
would isolate RNA, perform cDNA synthesis, and use PCR for relative quantification.
Q65. You want to test whether a small molecule affects endocytosis in cultured cells. Design a
fluorescence-based assay and explain how to quantify uptake.
Q66. You are given an unknown bacterial strain. Describe a series of practical tests you would
perform to identify it at the species level.
Q67. You are asked to measure intracellular calcium levels in response to a stimulus. Describe the
experimental setup, including dyes and detection method.
Q68. You need to compare protein expression in treated versus untreated cells. Design an
experiment using Western blotting, including normalization and quantification steps.
Q69. You have a culture of cells treated with an oxidative stress inducer. Outline an experiment to
measure ROS levels using a fluorescent probe and controls.
Q70. You are asked to determine whether a transcription factor binds to a specific promoter in cells.
Describe a practical approach and how you would interpret results.
Q71. You are given two cell lines. Design a migration assay to compare their motility and describe
how you would quantify results.
Q72. You want to test whether a protein forms dimers in living cells. Describe an experimental
approach that could provide this information.
Q73. You are provided with cells transfected with a GFP-tagged protein. Design an experiment to
track its intracellular trafficking over time and explain how to analyze the images.
Q74. You need to investigate whether a drug affects cytoskeletal dynamics. Design an experiment
using fluorescence microscopy and suggest quantitative analysis methods.
