BIO 1010 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2025/2026
G1 Phase - Answers The first gap, or growth phase, of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of
interphase before DNA synthesis begins.
G0 phase - Answers A nondividing state occupied by cells that have left the cell cycle,
sometimes reversibly.
S phase - Answers The synthesis phase of the cell cycle; the portion of interphase during which
DNA is replicated.
G2 phase - Answers The second growth phase of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of
interphase after DNA synthesis occurs.
Prophase - Answers first and longest phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes become
visible and the centrioles separate and take up positions on the opposite sides of the nucleus
Prometaphase - Answers The second stage of mitosis, during which the nuclear envelope
fragments and the spindle microtubules attach to the kinetochores of the sister chromatids.
Metaphase - Answers second phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes line up across
the center of the cell
Anaphase - Answers the third phase of mitosis, during which the chromosome pairs separate
and move toward opposite poles
Telophase - Answers the final phase of cell division, between anaphase and interphase, in which
the chromatids or chromosomes move to opposite ends of the cell and two nuclei are formed.
Cytokinesis in Plant Cells - Answers divide from inside out using a cell plate in middle of cell
Cytokinesis in animal cells - Answers Cell membrane is drawn inward until the cytoplasm is
pinched into two nearly equal parts
Role of centrosomes/microtubules in cell division - Answers The centrosome is an important
part of how the cell organizes the cell division. There are a lot of processes that need to be
coordinated together when you have two cells, both their nucleus and the cytoplasm, moving
away from each other. Microtubules create a spindle, and that's really the structural elements of
the cell that coordinate the cells moving away from each other. And the centrosomes organize
the microtubules, so it's called the microtubules organizing center. The centrosomes duplicate
before cell division, so they then help to organize the microtubules and the cell division process.
How mitochondria and chloroplasts replicate and are divided between daughter cells - Answers
Mitochondria and chloroplasts replicate via binary fission, a bacterial-like division, and contain
their own circular DNA, reflecting their prokaryotic origins (Endosymbiotic Theory). They divide
independently of the nucleus, but their distribution to daughter cells during mitosis is facilitated
, by nuclear-encoded proteins, ensuring new cells get a roughly equal share, often during the G2
phase of the cell cycle.
Meiosis - Answers a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the
number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
Meiosis- Importance - Answers allows for sexual reproduction with genetic variation
Comparison- Meiosis vs mitosis - Answers Mitosis creates two identical diploid body (somatic)
cells for growth/repair, involving one division, while meiosis produces four unique haploid sex
cells (gametes) for sexual reproduction, involving two divisions (Meiosis I & II) and genetic
recombination (crossing over) to ensure genetic diversity. Key differences are the purpose
(somatic vs. gamete production), number of divisions (one vs. two), daughter cell count (two vs.
four), genetic makeup (identical vs. unique), and chromosome number (diploid vs. haploid).
Crossing over - what it is and why it matters - Answers the swapping of genetic material
between paired homologous chromosomes during meiosis (sex cell formation), creating new
gene combinations on chromosomes, which is crucial for generating genetic diversity, allowing
populations to adapt, evolve, and survive changing environments through natural selection. It
happens in Prophase I of meiosis when chromosomes line up and exchange segments at points
called chiasmata, producing unique gametes (sperm/egg) that differ from the parent cells.
Independent assortment - Answers Independent segregation of genes during the formation of
gametes
Sex chromosomes vs autosomes - Answers Sex Chromosomes= determine an individual's sex
vs Autosomes= Chromosomes that aren't sex chromosomes
Diploid vs Haploid - Answers Diploid have 2 of each chromosome while Haploid has only 1 of
each chromosome.
Aneuploidy - concept - Answers the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell,
meaning there are extra or missing chromosomes, not the usual exact multiple of the haploid
set
Animal Development - Answers the process of transforming a single-celled zygote into a
multicellular organism through stages like cleavage, gastrulation, and organogenesis. It begins
with fertilization and involves cell division, differentiation, and the formation of distinct tissues
and organs. Key phases include the development from a single cell into a hollow ball (blastula),
followed by the formation of tissue layers (gastrula), and finally, the creation of specialized
organs (organogenesis).
Eggs vs Sperm - function and source - Answers Eggs (ova) are large, nutrient-rich female
gametes from the ovaries, providing resources for early development, while sperm are tiny,
motile male gametes from the testes, designed for speed to find and fertilize the egg, both
G1 Phase - Answers The first gap, or growth phase, of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of
interphase before DNA synthesis begins.
G0 phase - Answers A nondividing state occupied by cells that have left the cell cycle,
sometimes reversibly.
S phase - Answers The synthesis phase of the cell cycle; the portion of interphase during which
DNA is replicated.
G2 phase - Answers The second growth phase of the cell cycle, consisting of the portion of
interphase after DNA synthesis occurs.
Prophase - Answers first and longest phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes become
visible and the centrioles separate and take up positions on the opposite sides of the nucleus
Prometaphase - Answers The second stage of mitosis, during which the nuclear envelope
fragments and the spindle microtubules attach to the kinetochores of the sister chromatids.
Metaphase - Answers second phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes line up across
the center of the cell
Anaphase - Answers the third phase of mitosis, during which the chromosome pairs separate
and move toward opposite poles
Telophase - Answers the final phase of cell division, between anaphase and interphase, in which
the chromatids or chromosomes move to opposite ends of the cell and two nuclei are formed.
Cytokinesis in Plant Cells - Answers divide from inside out using a cell plate in middle of cell
Cytokinesis in animal cells - Answers Cell membrane is drawn inward until the cytoplasm is
pinched into two nearly equal parts
Role of centrosomes/microtubules in cell division - Answers The centrosome is an important
part of how the cell organizes the cell division. There are a lot of processes that need to be
coordinated together when you have two cells, both their nucleus and the cytoplasm, moving
away from each other. Microtubules create a spindle, and that's really the structural elements of
the cell that coordinate the cells moving away from each other. And the centrosomes organize
the microtubules, so it's called the microtubules organizing center. The centrosomes duplicate
before cell division, so they then help to organize the microtubules and the cell division process.
How mitochondria and chloroplasts replicate and are divided between daughter cells - Answers
Mitochondria and chloroplasts replicate via binary fission, a bacterial-like division, and contain
their own circular DNA, reflecting their prokaryotic origins (Endosymbiotic Theory). They divide
independently of the nucleus, but their distribution to daughter cells during mitosis is facilitated
, by nuclear-encoded proteins, ensuring new cells get a roughly equal share, often during the G2
phase of the cell cycle.
Meiosis - Answers a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the
number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores.
Meiosis- Importance - Answers allows for sexual reproduction with genetic variation
Comparison- Meiosis vs mitosis - Answers Mitosis creates two identical diploid body (somatic)
cells for growth/repair, involving one division, while meiosis produces four unique haploid sex
cells (gametes) for sexual reproduction, involving two divisions (Meiosis I & II) and genetic
recombination (crossing over) to ensure genetic diversity. Key differences are the purpose
(somatic vs. gamete production), number of divisions (one vs. two), daughter cell count (two vs.
four), genetic makeup (identical vs. unique), and chromosome number (diploid vs. haploid).
Crossing over - what it is and why it matters - Answers the swapping of genetic material
between paired homologous chromosomes during meiosis (sex cell formation), creating new
gene combinations on chromosomes, which is crucial for generating genetic diversity, allowing
populations to adapt, evolve, and survive changing environments through natural selection. It
happens in Prophase I of meiosis when chromosomes line up and exchange segments at points
called chiasmata, producing unique gametes (sperm/egg) that differ from the parent cells.
Independent assortment - Answers Independent segregation of genes during the formation of
gametes
Sex chromosomes vs autosomes - Answers Sex Chromosomes= determine an individual's sex
vs Autosomes= Chromosomes that aren't sex chromosomes
Diploid vs Haploid - Answers Diploid have 2 of each chromosome while Haploid has only 1 of
each chromosome.
Aneuploidy - concept - Answers the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell,
meaning there are extra or missing chromosomes, not the usual exact multiple of the haploid
set
Animal Development - Answers the process of transforming a single-celled zygote into a
multicellular organism through stages like cleavage, gastrulation, and organogenesis. It begins
with fertilization and involves cell division, differentiation, and the formation of distinct tissues
and organs. Key phases include the development from a single cell into a hollow ball (blastula),
followed by the formation of tissue layers (gastrula), and finally, the creation of specialized
organs (organogenesis).
Eggs vs Sperm - function and source - Answers Eggs (ova) are large, nutrient-rich female
gametes from the ovaries, providing resources for early development, while sperm are tiny,
motile male gametes from the testes, designed for speed to find and fertilize the egg, both
