The cell cycle and why cells divide

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top

   G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. A human body cell has 46 chromosomes in G1. The drawn cell sits in the G2 segment: its nucleus shows each chromosome as an X of two joined sister chromatids.

2. 1.

   Ari studies a human body cell drawn in G2. How many chromosomes and how many chromatids are in its nucleus?

   • 46 chromosomes, 46 chromatids
   • 92 chromosomes, 92 chromatids
   • 92 chromosomes, 46 chromatids
   • 46 chromosomes, 92 chromatids
3. 2.

   “Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top:” Bo follows a human body cell with 46 chromosomes as it copies its DNA and divides in two. How many chromosomes in each daughter, and in the two together?

   • 23 each, 46 together
   • 46 each, 46 together
   • 46 each, 92 together
   • 92 each, 184 together

4. Use this

   Count table (model data), 4 rows. Columns: where in the cycle, chromosomes, chromatids. A cell in G1: 8, 8. The same cell after S: 8, 16. The same cell just before it divides: 8, 16. One daughter cell just after cytokinesis: ____, ____.

5. 3.

   Esme completes the count table for a model organism. Which numbers go in the last row?

   • 8 chromosomes, 16 chromatids
   • 8 chromosomes, 8 chromatids
   • 16 chromosomes, 16 chromatids
   • 4 chromosomes, 4 chromatids

6. Use this

   Cycle wheel (real data from OpenStax Biology 2e: human cells dividing rapidly in a lab dish), 24 hours around.

8. 4.

   Jun reads the wheel. Which phase takes the largest share of the 24 hours, and about what percent?

   • G1, about 38 percent
   • M, since dividing is the main event of the cycle
   • S, about 42 percent
   • S, about 10 percent
9. 5.

   Kira adds up interphase on the same wheel. How long is interphase, and what percent of the cycle is it?

   Use the picture in question 4.

   • 0 hours: interphase is a rest, so it is not counted
   • 23.5 hours, about 98 percent
   • 19 hours, about 79 percent
   • 0.5 hours: mitosis is the cell cycle, so interphase is not counted
10. 6.

    Luz claims a dividing cell spends most of its time in mitosis. What do the wheel's numbers show?

    Use the picture in question 4.

    • The claim is wrong: M is about 2 percent and the rest is interphase
    • The claim is wrong: M is about 50 percent of the cycle
    • The claim is right: interphase is a rest, so just M counts as active time
    • The claim is right: mitosis is the biggest part of the cycle
11. 7.

    Milo reads the table. Which statement does it support?

    • The 10 µm cell has 4 times the area and 8 times the volume, so a lower ratio
    • The 10 µm cell has the higher ratio, because its surface area of 600 is larger
    • The 10 µm cell exchanges materials better, because 600 is more surface area than 150
    • Both cells share one ratio, because both are cubes with the same shape
13. 8.

    At the G2 gate, Ren learns that some chromosomes were not fully copied. What does the cell do?

    • It passes, because the M gate repairs missing copies
    • It skips to cytokinesis and splits first
    • It enters mitosis, where the copying is finished
    • It is held at the gate while it finishes copying or repairs the DNA
14. 9.

    At the gate in mitosis, Tala sees one pair of sister chromatids attached to spindle fibers from only one pole. What happens?

    Use the picture in question 8.

    • The cell divides its cytoplasm first, then sorts the chromosomes
    • The chromatids separate anyway; cells keep dividing once started
    • The cell waits, since pulling chromatids apart cannot be undone
    • The cell goes back to S to copy the DNA again
15. 10.

    Zee follows a cell to the G1 gate, but nutrients are low. What can the cell do?

    • Skip S and G2 and go straight to mitosis
    • Wait at the gate, or step into G0 until conditions improve
    • Leave the cycle for good, since G0 cannot be left
    • Go on into S, since cells keep dividing whatever the conditions