When studying for a biology exam, it can be helpful to have sample test questions to practice with prior to the real evaluation. The following questions are designed to help students better understand eukaryotic cell structure and function. This collection of questions certainly does not contain every possible item that one might find on a test. It is merely a sampling of items that would be appropriate for testing a student's knowledge of the subject.
How to Best Use Practice Test Questions
To test your knowledge, complete the questions below without looking at the answers at the bottom of the article. In addition to the answers following the article there are unlabeled illustrations of different cell types that students can use to practice identifying different cell structures. The link associated with each illustration leads to a labeled version of the same diagram.
Eukaryotic Practice Test Questions – Cell Structure:
1. The genome of a cell is located in the …
a. nucleoid, b.microtubule, c. endoplasmic reticulum, d. nucleus, e. mitochondria
2. The general terms for a small membrane-bound compartment used to move materials into, out of and around within the cell.
a. nucleus, b. Golgi apparatus, c. mitochondria, d. lysosome, e. vesicle,
3. Vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vesicles and vacuoles are all part of the eukaryotic cell’s…
a. genetic structure, b. endomembrane system, c. endocrine system, d. chloroplast structure, e. nucleus
4. Which organelles, besides the nucleus, contain genetic material?
a. mitochondria, b. endplasmic reticulum, c. chloroplasts, d. a & c, e. a & b
5. Microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments are all part of the cell’s...
a. endomembrane system, b. cell wall, c. cytoskeleton, d. cytosol, e. lysosome
For the following structures, indicate whether they are found only in plant cells (P), only in animal cells (A) or in both plant and animal cells (B):
6. cell wall _______
7. chloroplasts _________
8. mitochondria ________
9. extracellular matrix (the ECM) ________
10. flagella________
11. centrioles ______
12. central vacuole _________
13. endoplasmic reticulum ________
14. ribosomes ________
15. lysosome _________
Eukaryotic Practice Test Questions – Cell Function:
16. The role of ribosomes is to build…
a. lipids, b. nucleic acids, c. proteins, d. carbohydrates, e. new cells
17. Most of the ATP produced within the cell is made in this organelle.
a. Golgi apparatus, b. endoplasmic reticulum, c. ribosome, d. nucleus, e. mitochondria
18. Peroxisomes produce...
a. oxygen, b. somatic cells, c. hydrogen peroxide, d. microtubules, e. chromatin
19. The role of chloroplasts is to...
a. perform photosynthesis, b. digest cellular waste, c. provide structural support for the cell, d. help the cell move
20. Which organelle of the endomembrane system is involved in protein synthesis?
a. rough endoplasmic reticulum, b. smooth endoplasmic reticulum, c. Golgi apparatus
21. What does the cell's nucleolus make?
a. DNA, b. ATP, c. rRNA, d. mRNA, e. charbohydrates
22. Which cellular organelle makes lysosomes?
a. endoplasmic reticulum, b. Golgi apparatus, c. mitochondria, d. nucleus, e. vacuole
23. The cell's plasma membrane functions to...
a. produce plasma for the cell, b. protect the cell from osmotic pressure, c. regulate the movement of material into and out of the cell, d. extract ATP energy from food
24. Which is NOT a function of central vacuole...
a. holds a solution called sap, b. may contain pigments that color the cell, c. is part of the endomembrane system, d. is involved in cell movement
25. The food in a cellular food vacuole can be digested when the food vacuole merges with a...
a. ribosome, b. cytosol, c. chloroplast, d. mitochondria, e. lysosome,
For additional help learning about cell biology, see the following websites:
Sources
All questions on this sample test were created by the author. The following textbooks were used as a reference to inspire creation of the test questions.
Bauman, R. (2005) Microbiology. Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
Starr, C. & Taggart, R. (1992) Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life. Wadsworth Publishing.
Tami Port - Tami Port is a college professor of cell and microbiology and creator of ScienceProfOnline.com, a free science education website.
Join the Conversation