The cell cycle and why cells divide
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
Bo watches a new cell form. It is growing and gathering building blocks, and its DNA is not copied yet. Which part of the wheel is it in?
- No segment: a new cell rests before the cycle starts
- G2, the second gap
- M, the mitotic phase
- G1, the first gap
Esme reads the wheel. Which job happens in the mitotic phase?
Use the picture in question 1.
- The cell copies its DNA so each chromosome has two chromatids
- The cell grows, copies its DNA and divides, from start to finish
- The cell grows and gathers energy before copying its DNA
- The copied chromosomes are pulled apart and the cell splits
Read this first
Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top
G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis.
Jun walks clockwise around the wheel, starting at G1. Which list shows the segments in order?
- G1, S, G2, mitosis, cytokinesis
- Cytokinesis, mitosis, G2, S, G1
- G1, G2, S, mitosis, cytokinesis
- G1, S, G2, cytokinesis, mitosis
Kira looks at the wheel. Which segment comes straight after S?
- Mitosis, skipping the second gap
- G1, the first gap
- Cytokinesis, the cell splitting
- G2, the second gap
Luz brackets part of the wheel as interphase. Which segments belong in the bracket?
Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. G1, S and G2 together are interphase; mitosis and cytokinesis together are the mitotic phase. Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. G1, S and G2 together are interphase; mitosis and cytokinesis together are the mitotic phase. G1 S G2 mitosis (M) cytokinesis G1, S and G2 together are interphase. mitosis and cytokinesis together are the mitotic phase. Not to scale. - No segment: interphase is a rest between cycles
- Mitosis alone, since mitosis is the whole cycle
- G1, S and G2
- Mitosis and cytokinesis
Four uses of cell division (facts from OpenStax Biology 2e)
situation what happens A a sea urchin begins as 1 cell and has 16 cells after 4 rounds of cell division B human epithelial cells are replaced after about 2 to 5 days on average C a single-celled organism splits into 2 single-celled organisms D a fertilized egg divides again and again until a person has trillions of cells Milo reads the card. Which situation shows cell division used for reproduction, not growth or replacement?
- A: one cell becomes 16 cells in an animal
- B: old epithelial cells are swapped for new ones
- D: one cell becomes the many cells of a person
- C: one cell becomes two new organisms
Noah compares two cube cells. Which cell has more surface area for each unit of its volume?
Cube cells (model data), 2 rows. Columns: side in µm, surface area in square µm, volume in cubic µm, surface area-to-volume ratio. 1, 6, 1, 6. 3, 54, 27, 2. Cube cells (model data), 2 rows. Columns: side in µm, surface area in square µm, volume in cubic µm, surface area-to-volume ratio. 1, 6, 1, 6. 3, 54, 27, 2. Cube cells (model data) side in µm surface area in square µm volume in cubic µm surface area-to-volume ratio 1 6 1 6 3 54 27 2 - The 3 µm cell, because bigger cells exchange materials better
- The 1 µm cell, with a ratio of 6
- Neither: both cubes share the same ratio
- The 3 µm cell, since 54 is more surface area than 6
A cube cell in Pia's model grows from a side of 2 µm to a side of 4 µm. What happens to its surface-area-to-volume ratio?
Cube cells (model data), 2 rows. Columns: side in µm, surface area in square µm, volume in cubic µm, surface area-to-volume ratio. 2, 24, 8, 3. 4, 96, 64, 1.5. Cube cells (model data), 2 rows. Columns: side in µm, surface area in square µm, volume in cubic µm, surface area-to-volume ratio. 2, 24, 8, 3. 4, 96, 64, 1.5. side in µm surface area in square µm volume in cubic µm surface area-to-volume ratio 2 24 8 3 4 96 64 1.5 - It falls from 3 to 1.5, so each part of the cell gets less membrane
- It stays at 3, since the cell keeps the same shape
- It rises, since bigger cells exchange materials better
- It rises, since the bigger cell has more membrane
Tala reads about the gate in mitosis. What must be true before the sister chromatids are pulled apart?
Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. Three gates (checkpoints) stand on the wheel: the G1 checkpoint near the end of G1, the G2 checkpoint before mitosis, and the M checkpoint in mitosis, before the sister chromatids are pulled apart. Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. Three gates (checkpoints) stand on the wheel: the G1 checkpoint near the end of G1, the G2 checkpoint before mitosis, and the M checkpoint in mitosis, before the sister chromatids are pulled apart. G1 S G2 mitosis (M) cytokinesis G1 checkpoint G2 checkpoint M checkpoint - Each pair of sister chromatids is attached to the spindle
- The cell has already divided its cytoplasm
- The cell has doubled in size
- The DNA has been copied for the first time
“model, not to scale” Zee reads about a mature nerve cell that does not divide. Where is it in the cell cycle?
Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. A side branch labeled G0 leaves the wheel near the start of G1. Cycle wheel (model, not to scale), clockwise from the top: G1, S, G2, mitosis (M), cytokinesis. A side branch labeled G0 leaves the wheel near the start of G1. Cycle wheel G1 S G2 mitosis (M) cytokinesis G0 - In G1, getting ready to divide again soon
- In G0, outside the active cycle
- In interphase, resting before its next division
- In mitosis, stuck partway through dividing

