Mitosis and meiosis compared
Grade 9 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Model germ cell (model data, not to scale)
2n = 10, drawn as 5 pairs of chromosome cards: pair 1, pair 2, pair 3, pair 4 and pair 5. Each pair has 1 dark card and 1 light card.
Bo follows a model animal cell with 2n = 10 that makes egg or sperm cells by meiosis. How many chromosomes does each finished cell have?
- 20 chromosomes
- 10 chromosomes
- 2 chromosomes
- 5 chromosomes
Esme follows a model cell with 2n = 4 through meiosis. What is the total number of chromosomes in all the finished cells together?
- 4 chromosomes
- 2 chromosomes
- 16 chromosomes
- 8 chromosomes
Use this
Lab note (model data), 5 rows. Columns: step, result. start, 1 body cell, 2n = 8. divisions, 1. cells made, 2. chromosomes in each new cell, 8. new cells, match the parent cell.
Jun reads a lab note about one division. Which choice names it and gives the reason?
- Mitosis, because the new cells match the parent
- Meiosis, because the new cells match the parent
- Meiosis, because 2 cells were made
- Fertilization, because 2 cells were made
Use this
Lab note (model data), 5 rows. Columns: step, result. start, 1 germ cell, 2n = 10. divisions, 2. cells made, 4. chromosomes in each new cell, 5. new cells, all different.
Kira reads a lab note about a germ cell dividing. Which choice names the division and gives the reason?
- Mitosis, because 4 cells were made
- Mitosis, because the new cells differ from each other
- Meiosis, because the number was halved
- Fertilization, because the number changed
Use this
Two divisions (model data), 2 rows. Columns: division, start and divisions, cells made, chromosomes in each new cell. P, 1 cell with 2n = 12, then 1 division, 2, 12. Q, 1 cell with 2n = 12, then 2 divisions in a row, 4, 6.
Luz reads the table of two divisions, P and Q. Which choice names both correctly?
- P is mitosis and Q is meiosis, because Q halves the number
- P is meiosis and Q is mitosis, because mitosis halves the number
- P and Q are both mitosis, because both start with 2n = 12
- P and Q are both meiosis, because both copy chromosomes first
Mitosis and meiosis side by side (facts from OpenStax Biology 2e)
step mitosis meiosis chromosomes copied before dividing once once divisions 1 2 cells made 2 4 chromosomes in each new cell same as the parent half of the parent new cells identical different from each other Noah compares the two columns of the table. Which feature belongs to meiosis and not to mitosis?
- The new cells have the parent's chromosome number
- The chromosomes are copied before the division starts
- Two divisions follow one round of copying
- One division makes two identical cells
Pia compares the two columns of the table. Which feature belongs to mitosis and not to meiosis?
- The new cells have the parent's chromosome number
- The chromosome number is cut to half
- Two divisions happen in a row
- The new cells differ from each other
Use this
Two ways to reproduce (facts from OpenStax Biology 2e), 2 rows. Columns: way, starting cells, how offspring begin, offspring. asexual, such as budding yeast, 1 parent, a bud forms and the nucleus divides by mitosis, match the parent. sexual, usually 2 parents, an egg cell and a sperm cell join, differ from each other and from the parents.
Ren reads about a yeast cell and the bud that pinches off from it. How do their chromosomes compare?
- The bud has half, because mitosis halves the number
- They match, because the nucleus divided by meiosis
- They match, because the nucleus divided by mitosis
- The bud has a mix from two parents
Tala sees plants P and Q grow from two runners of one strawberry plant. How alike are P and Q?
- Genetically identical, because mitosis copied the parent's chromosomes
- Genetically different, because each runner started with meiosis
- Half alike, because each took half the parent's chromosomes
- Genetically different, because mitosis shuffles genes in each plant
Zee compares offspring in the two rows of the card. Which row's offspring vary more from each other, and why?
- The asexual row, because mitosis mixes chromosomes
- The asexual row, because one parent passes on more genes
- The sexual row, because meiosis and joining mix chromosomes
- Neither row, because meiosis makes identical cells