Question 1 Medium
Which part of a bacterial cell is used for movement?
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Answer: flagellum
- Some bacteria have a tail.
- This is called a flagellum.
Cell structure and specialised cells: GCSE Combined Science Biology practice questions
A second set of questions on cell structure and specialised cells. They are different from the ones on the topic page. Try each, then open the answer and compare your working.
More questions
Question 2 Medium
Name the process by which a cell becomes specialised.
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Answer: differentiation
- Cells change structure to suit a job.
- This is differentiation.
Question 3 Medium
Name the green substance in chloroplasts that is needed for photosynthesis.
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Answer: chlorophyll
- Chloroplasts look green.
- The green substance is chlorophyll.
Question 4 Medium
Name the specialised cell that carries electrical impulses.
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Answer: nerve cell
- It is long with branched ends.
- This is the nerve cell.
Question 5 Hard
A cell has a cell wall and a nucleus. Name the type of organism it comes from.
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Answer: plant
- A nucleus means a eukaryote.
- A cellulose wall together with a nucleus means a plant cell.
Question 6 Hard
Name the part of a cell that controls what substances enter and leave.
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Answer: cell membrane
- The outer layer is selective.
- This is the cell membrane, not the cell wall.
Question 7 Hard
Which structure makes xylem cells strong enough to carry water?
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Answer: lignin
- The cell walls are hardened.
- The strengthening substance is lignin.
Question 8 Hard
Muscle cells contain many mitochondria. Name the process they carry out to release energy.
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Answer: respiration
- Muscles need much energy to contract.
- Mitochondria release it by aerobic respiration.
Question 9 Medium
What does the acrosome of a sperm cell contain?
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Answer: enzymes
- The acrosome is at the head of the sperm.
- It holds enzymes to digest the outer layer of the egg.
Question 10 Hard
Which cells have cilia to sweep mucus away from the lungs?
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Answer: ciliated epithelial cells
- Cilia are hair-like projections.
- They are found on ciliated epithelial cells in the airways.
Quick checks
Short questions with options. Choose one before you open the answer.
Check 1
What is the job of the nucleus in a cell?
Show answer
It contains the genes and controls the cell.
Check 2
What happens in the cytoplasm of a cell?
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Most chemical reactions take place there.
Check 3
What does the cell membrane do?
Show answer
It controls what moves into and out of the cell.
Check 4
What is the job of mitochondria in a cell?
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They release energy by aerobic respiration.
Check 5
What is the job of ribosomes in a cell?
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They make proteins.
Check 6
What is the cell wall of a plant made of?
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Cellulose.
Check 7
What does the permanent vacuole contain?
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Cell sap, which helps keep the cell firm.
Check 8
What do chloroplasts contain and what is their job?
Show answer
Chlorophyll, for photosynthesis.
Check 9
What is the genetic material of a bacterial cell like?
Show answer
A single loop of DNA that is free in the cytoplasm, with no nucleus.
Check 10
What is a plasmid?
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A small extra ring of DNA found in bacterial cells.
Check 11
What does a flagellum do on a bacterium?
Show answer
It spins like a tail to move the cell.
Check 12
What is the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?
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Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not.
Check 13
How is a sperm cell adapted to its function?
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It has a tail to swim, many mitochondria for energy and enzymes in the head.
Check 14
How is a nerve cell adapted to its function?
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It is long and has branched ends, so it can carry impulses and connect to other cells.
Check 15
How is a root hair cell adapted to its function?
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The hair gives a large surface area for taking up water and minerals.
Check 16
What is differentiation?
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The process by which a cell becomes specialised for a particular job.
Check 17
Why do xylem cells have lignin?
Show answer
It strengthens the hollow tubes that carry water.
Check 18
What is a cell?
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The basic building block of living things.
Check 19
Which three parts do plant cells have that animal cells do not?
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A cell wall, a permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.
Check 20
Why do root cells have no chloroplasts?
Show answer
They are underground, where there is no light for photosynthesis.
Check 21
What is the cell wall of a bacterium like?
Show answer
It strengthens the cell, but it is not made of cellulose.
Check 22
How is a muscle cell adapted to its function?
Show answer
It has protein fibres that shorten to make it contract, and many mitochondria for energy.
Check 23
How is a phloem cell adapted to its function?
Show answer
It has holes in its end walls, so dissolved food can pass through.
Check 24
Do plant cells have mitochondria?
Show answer
Yes. They release energy by respiration in mitochondria too.
Check 25
What does aerobic respiration use to release energy from food?
Show answer
Oxygen.
Check 26
What is the job of the acrosome in a sperm cell?
Show answer
It holds enzymes that digest the outer layer of the egg cell.
Check 27
How is an egg cell adapted for its job?
Show answer
Nutrients in the cytoplasm, a haploid nucleus, and a membrane that changes after fertilisation to stop other sperm entering.
Check 28
How are ciliated epithelial cells adapted?
Show answer
Cilia sweep mucus and trapped microbes away from the lungs.
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