25 questions in 25 minutes on the NTA computer-based test interface, all from Cell Cycle and Cell Division. +4 / -1 marking, instant score, full solutions. Free, no login.
A chapter test is the fastest honest check on whether a chapter has actually landed. This one draws 25 questions from Cell Cycle and Cell Division, of which 16 are real NEET previous-year questions and 0 sit at the harder end of the bank. Sit it in one 25-minute block, the way you would in the hall.
Revising first? Read the Cell Cycle and Cell Division chapter notes, then come back and take this test to check it stuck.
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Duration: 180 minutes · 180 questions · 720 marks maximum
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NEET CBT mock test: common questions
How many questions are in this Cell Cycle and Cell Division mock test?
25 questions in 25 minutes, marked +4 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong one, exactly like the real paper. 16 of them are NEET previous-year questions.
Is this the same interface as the real NEET CBT?
Yes. On-screen countdown, colour-coded question palette, Save & Next, Clear Response and Mark for Review, then an instant score with full solutions.
Should I take this before or after revising Cell Cycle and Cell Division?
Both, and that is the point. Take it cold to find out what you actually do not know, revise from the chapter notes, then retake it to confirm the gap closed.
All 25 questions with answers and solutions
The complete paper in text form, with the correct option and a worked explanation for every question. Sit the timed test above first: the score is only worth having if you earn it. Then open this to revise, or to re-read a question you got wrong without replaying the whole paper.
Show all 25 questions with answers and solutions
Botany
- Q1Synapsis occurs between:
- Two homologous chromosomes
- Spindle fibres and the centromere
- mRNA and ribosomes
- A male and a female gamete
Answer: (A) Two homologous chromosomes
Synapsis is the point-by-point pairing of two homologous chromosomes (one maternal, one paternal) during zygotene of prophase I, held together by the synaptonemal complex. It does not involve gametes, mRNA or spindle fibres.
- Q2During anaphase I of meiosis, which of the following separates and moves to opposite poles?
- Bivalents that fuse together
- Daughter chromosomes after centromere division
- Sister chromatids, after centromere splitting
- Homologous chromosomes, with centromeres intact
Answer: (D) Homologous chromosomes, with centromeres intact
In anaphase I, homologous chromosomes (each still made of two sister chromatids) separate and move to opposite poles. The centromere does NOT split – that happens only in anaphase II.
- Q3During cell division, the spindle fibres attach to the chromosome at a region called the:
- Chromocentre
- Chromomere
- Kinetochore
- Centriole
Answer: (C) Kinetochore
Spindle (chromosomal) fibres attach to the kinetochore, a structure that develops on either surface of the centromere during late prophase. The chromocentre is a fused heterochromatic region, the centriole organises the spindle poles, and chromomeres are beaded condensations along the chromosome.
- Q4At which stage of mitosis are chromosomes most condensed and aligned at the equator, making it ideal to study chromosome morphology?
- Prophase
- Metaphase
- Telophase
- Anaphase
Answer: (B) Metaphase
At metaphase, chromosomes are maximally condensed and arranged on the metaphase plate (equator). This makes metaphase the best stage to study chromosome shape and number.
- Q5Meiosis has evolutionary significance because it results in:
- Genetically similar daughters
- Eggs and sperms
- Recombinations
- Four daughter cells
Answer: (C) Recombinations
The evolutionary significance of meiosis lies in generating recombinations (via crossing over and independent assortment), which create genetic variation, the raw material for natural selection. Producing four cells or gametes is a feature, but it is the variation (recombination) that matters evolutionarily; the daughters are genetically dissimilar.
- Q6Lampbrush chromosomes occur during:
- Interphase
- Prophase of mitosis
- Diplotene of meiosis
- Metaphase of meiosis
Answer: (C) Diplotene of meiosis
Lampbrush chromosomes are seen in the diplotene stage of prolonged meiotic prophase I (in oocytes of amphibians and other animals). Their lateral loops have uncoiled, actively transcribing DNA for rapid yolk synthesis. They are not a mitotic or metaphase feature.
- Q7The primary significance of meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms is:
- Growth and repair of body tissues
- Increasing the chromosome number each generation
- Maintaining constant chromosome number across generations and generating variation
- Producing genetically identical cells
Answer: (C) Maintaining constant chromosome number across generations and generating variation
Meiosis halves the chromosome number so that fertilisation restores the diploid number, keeping it constant across generations, and crossing over plus independent assortment generate variation for evolution.
- Q8Which of the following stages of meiosis involves division (splitting) of the centromere?
- Metaphase-I
- Telophase-II
- Metaphase-II
- Anaphase-II
Answer: (D) Anaphase-II
The centromere splits in anaphase II, separating the sister chromatids into independent chromosomes (just like mitotic anaphase). In anaphase I only the homologues separate, with centromeres intact; metaphase and telophase involve no centromere splitting.
- Q9The enzyme recombinase is required at which stage of meiosis?
- Zygotene
- Diakinesis
- Pachytene
- Diplotene
Answer: (C) Pachytene
Recombinase mediates crossing over, which occurs in pachytene of prophase I. It acts at the recombination nodules to exchange segments between non-sister chromatids of homologues. Synapsis (zygotene) and chiasma terminalisation (diplotene/diakinesis) do not need recombinase.
- Q10During mitosis, the endoplasmic reticulum and nucleolus begin to disappear during:
- Late prophase
- Late metaphase
- Early prophase
- Early metaphase
Answer: (C) Early prophase
Prophase is the longest stage of karyokinesis; in early prophase the nucleolus, nuclear membrane, ER and Golgi begin to disappear as chromatin condenses. By metaphase they have already gone, so early prophase is the correct (earliest) point.
- Q11The exchange of genetic material between chromatids of paired homologous chromosomes during the first meiotic division is called:
- Synapsis
- Transformation
- Crossing over
- Chiasmata
Answer: (C) Crossing over
The exchange of segments between non-sister chromatids of paired homologues in prophase I is crossing over. A chiasma is the visible site where it occurred, synapsis is the pairing that precedes it, and transformation is a bacterial uptake of DNA (unrelated).
- Q12In the somatic cell cycle, which statement is correct?
- In G1-phase DNA content is double the amount present in the original cell
- A short interphase is followed by a long mitotic phase
- DNA replication takes place in S-phase
- G2-phase follows the mitotic phase
Answer: (C) DNA replication takes place in S-phase
DNA replication occurs in the S-phase, where DNA content doubles relative to the parent cell. In G1 the DNA is still at the original (2C) amount; interphase is long and mitosis short; and G2 precedes (not follows) the M-phase. Hence B is correct.
- Q13A cell with 2n = 16 enters meiosis. How many chromosomes will each cell have at the end of meiosis II?
- 8
- 4
- 16
- 32
Answer: (A) 8
Meiosis halves the chromosome number. From 2n = 16, each of the four resulting haploid cells will have n = 8 chromosomes.
- Q14Which of the following is true about the interphase between meiosis I and meiosis II (interkinesis)?
- Chromosome number doubles
- It is short and DNA replication does NOT occur
- Crossing over occurs again
- DNA replication (S phase) occurs again
Answer: (B) It is short and DNA replication does NOT occur
Interkinesis is generally short and is NOT followed by DNA replication. Therefore meiosis II directly separates the sister chromatids produced during the single S phase before meiosis I.
- Q15The liquid endosperm of coconut, where nuclear divisions occur without cytoplasmic division, is an example of:
- Cytokinesis preceding karyokinesis
- Syncytium (free-nuclear / multinucleate condition)
- Cell plate formation
- Cleavage furrow formation
Answer: (B) Syncytium (free-nuclear / multinucleate condition)
When karyokinesis is not followed by cytokinesis, a multinucleate (syncytial) condition results. The liquid endosperm of coconut is the classic NCERT example of free nuclear division.
- Q16After karyogamy followed by meiosis, spores are produced exogenously in:
- Alternaria
- Saccharomyces
- Agaricus
- Neurospora
Answer: (C) Agaricus
Agaricus (a basidiomycete) produces basidiospores exogenously on the basidium after karyogamy and meiosis. Neurospora and Saccharomyces (ascomycetes) form ascospores endogenously inside an ascus, and Alternaria (a deuteromycete) lacks a sexual stage. So Agaricus is correct.
- Q17Which of the following options gives the correct sequence of events during mitosis?
- Condensation → crossing over → nuclear membrane disassembly → segregation → telophase
- Condensation → nuclear membrane disassembly → arrangement at equator → centromere division → segregation → telophase
- Condensation → arrangement at equator → centromere division → segregation → telophase
- Condensation → nuclear membrane disassembly → crossing over → segregation → telophase
Answer: (B) Condensation → nuclear membrane disassembly → arrangement at equator → centromere division → segregation → telophase
Mitosis proceeds: chromosome condensation (prophase) → nuclear membrane disassembly → arrangement at the equator (metaphase) → centromere division and segregation (anaphase) → telophase. Crossing over does NOT occur in mitosis, so options containing it are wrong; option B also correctly keeps nuclear-membrane disassembly before equatorial arrangement.
- Q18A bivalent consists of:
- Four chromatids and two centromeres
- Two chromatids and one centromere
- Four chromatids and four centromeres
- Two chromatids and two centromeres
Answer: (A) Four chromatids and two centromeres
A bivalent (tetrad) is a pair of synapsed homologous chromosomes. Each homologue has two sister chromatids and one centromere, so the bivalent has four chromatids and two centromeres in total.
- Q19During gamete formation, the enzyme recombinase participates during:
- Prophase-II
- Metaphase-I
- Anaphase-II
- Prophase-I
Answer: (D) Prophase-I
Recombinase drives crossing over, which occurs at the pachytene sub-stage of prophase I. So recombinase participates during prophase I. Metaphase I, anaphase II and prophase II involve no crossing over.
- Q20The correct sequence of sub-stages of prophase I of meiosis is:
- Leptotene → Zygotene → Pachytene → Diplotene → Diakinesis
- Leptotene → Pachytene → Zygotene → Diplotene → Diakinesis
- Pachytene → Zygotene → Leptotene → Diplotene → Diakinesis
- Zygotene → Leptotene → Pachytene → Diakinesis → Diplotene
Answer: (A) Leptotene → Zygotene → Pachytene → Diplotene → Diakinesis
Prophase I sub-stages in order are Leptotene, Zygotene (synapsis), Pachytene (crossing over), Diplotene (chiasmata visible), and Diakinesis. Mnemonic: ‘Lazy Zebras Pull Down Daffodils’.
- Q21Which of the following is NOT a characteristic feature during mitosis in somatic cells?
- Synapsis
- Chromosome movement
- Disappearance of nucleolus
- Spindle fibres
Answer: (A) Synapsis
Synapsis (pairing of homologous chromosomes) is a feature of meiosis (zygotene of prophase I), not mitosis. Disappearance of the nucleolus, chromosome movement and spindle fibres are all normal mitotic features. So synapsis is the exception.
- Q22In salivary gland (polytene) chromosomes, pairing is:
- Formed between non-homologous chromosomes
- Occasional
- Absent
- Formed between homologous chromosomes
Answer: (D) Formed between homologous chromosomes
Polytene chromosomes arise by somatic pairing of the two homologous chromosomes followed by repeated endoreduplication. Thus the pairing is between homologous chromosomes. This ‘somatic pairing’ is characteristic of Dipteran salivary glands.
- Q23During which phase of the cell cycle does DNA replication occur?
- M phase
- G2 phase
- S phase
- G1 phase
Answer: (C) S phase
DNA synthesis (replication) occurs in the S (Synthesis) phase, during which DNA content doubles from 2C to 4C while the chromosome number stays unchanged.
- Q24Meiosis-II performs:
- Separation of homologous chromosomes
- Synthesis of DNA and centromeres
- Separation of chromatids
- Separation of sex chromosomes
Answer: (C) Separation of chromatids
Meiosis II is an equational (mitosis-like) division that separates the sister chromatids of the dyad chromosomes, bringing real haploidy in DNA amount. No DNA is synthesised before it; homologous chromosomes were already separated in meiosis I.
- Q25Which sequence correctly represents the stages of mitotic karyokinesis?
- Metaphase → Prophase → Anaphase → Telophase
- Prophase → Metaphase → Telophase → Anaphase
- Prophase → Anaphase → Metaphase → Telophase
- Prophase → Metaphase → Anaphase → Telophase
Answer: (D) Prophase → Metaphase → Anaphase → Telophase
The correct order is Prophase → Metaphase → Anaphase → Telophase (PMAT): condensation, alignment, separation, then reformation of nuclei.