Cells, Microscopes and Magnification Questions

Q1.

A student investigated mitosis in the root tip of a garlic plant.

(i) The student squashed the root tip on a microscope slide to spread out the cells.
The slide was placed on the stage of a microscope.
Describe how to use the microscope to obtain a clear image of the cells.
(2)
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(ii) The student could not see the chromosomes inside the cells.
State what can be added to the root tip squash to make the chromosomes visible.
(1)
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(Total for question = 5 marks)

Q2.

Figure 4 shows three cells.

(i) What is structure X?

(1)
A cell membrane

B cell wall

C cytoplasm

D nucleus

(ii) The bacterial cell in Figure 4 has a flagellum.

State the function of a flagellum.

(1)
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(iii) Give one other difference between the bacterial cell and the animal cell shown in Figure 4.
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(Total for question = 3 marks)

Q3. Figure 12 shows a root tip with cells in different stages of mitosis.
The image was magnified 400 ×.

Figure 12

Explain how a magnification of 400 × can be obtained using the lenses on a light microscope.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q4. Figure 3 is a drawing of a eukaryotic cell.

Structure Z is found in plant leaf cells.

(i) Name the structure of Z.

(1)
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(ii) Give one function of the mitochondrion.
(1)
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(iii) Describe how a prokaryotic cell is different from the cell in Figure 3.
(2)
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(Total for question = 4 marks)

Q5. A plant leaf cell is 0.04 mm long.

Calculate the length of the image after this cell has been magnified 500 times.

length of image = ...........................................................mm

(Total for question = 2 marks)

Q6.

Figure 7 shows a cyanobacterium magnified 50 000 times.

The line AB shows the diameter of the bacterial cell.

(i) Calculate the actual diameter of the cyanobacterium.

Give your answer in micrometres (μm).
(3)

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(ii) Bacterial cells contain plasmids.

Describe three other features of a bacterial cell.

(3)
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(Total for question = 6 marks)

Q7. Figure 7 shows the steps involved in making a slide to observe mitosis in plant tissue.

Figure 7

(i) To observe mitosis, the plant tissue should be removed from the
(1)
A middle of the root

B centre of the stem

C middle of the leaf cell

D tip of the root

(ii) State why the stain is added to the plant tissue in step 3.
(1)
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(iii) The microscope has an eyepiece lens with a ×10 magnification and three objective lenses: ×4, ×10
and ×40.
Describe the best method of using the microscope to focus on the plant tissue and reach a
magnification of ×400.
(3)
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(Total for question = 5 marks)