The cell theory states that all living organisms are composed of cells and products of cells, and that the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life. It developed in stages: Matthias Schleiden (1838), a botanist, found that all plants are made of cells; Theodor Schwann (1839), a zoologist, extended this to animals and proposed that cells are bounded by a membrane, and to
Cell: The Unit of Life
Class 1123 previous-year questions from this chapter every option and the correct answer, free · where the marks are
1. Cell theory, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Exam focus: "No membrane-bound organelles" does not mean "no ribosomes" — prokaryotic cells still have 70S ribosomes, since a ribosome is never membrane-bound to begin with; what prokaryotes actually lack is the endomembrane system and DNA-containing double-membrane organelles.
Cell Theory; Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Competition Wallah
Full chapter video with explicit cell-theory, prokaryotic-cell and eukaryotic-cell segments.
BotanyNEET 2025show ▾A specialised membranous structure in a prokaryotic cell which helps in cell wall formation, DNA replication and respiration is:
- A.Mesosome✓
- B.Chromatophores
- C.Cristae
- D.Endoplasmic reticulum
Solution
The mesosome, an infolding of the prokaryotic plasma membrane, helps in cell-wall formation, DNA replication and its distribution, and in respiration.
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Save for spaced revision (free account)BotanyNEET 2020show ▾Which of the following statements about inclusion bodies is incorrect?
- A.They are not bound by any membrane
- B.These are involved in ingestion of food particles✓
- C.They lie free in the cytoplasm
- D.These represent reserve material in the cytoplasm
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BotanyNEET 2019show ▾The concept of "Omnis cellula-e cellula" regarding cell division was first proposed by:
- A.Rudolf Virchow✓
- B.Theodor Schwann
- C.Matthias Schleiden
- D.Aristotle
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2. Cell membrane, cell wall and endomembrane system
Exam focus: Keep wall and membrane separated by function, not just position: the cell wall is freely (fully) permeable and never itself controls what enters or leaves, while it's the plasma membrane underneath that is selectively permeable — crediting the wall with selective transport is the standard trap.
Cell Membrane, Cell Wall and Endomembrane System
Competition Wallah
Same video has dedicated cell-membrane, cell-wall, endomembrane-system, lysosome and vacuole segments — a strong direct match.
ZoologyNEET 2025show ▾Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The primary function of the Golgi apparatus is to package the materials made by the endoplasmic reticulum and deliver them to intracellular targets and outside the cell.
Reason (R): Vesicles containing materials made by the endoplasmic reticulum fuse with the cis face of the Golgi apparatus, and they are modified and released from the trans face of the Golgi apparatus.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A✓
- B.Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
- C.A is true but R is false
- D.A is false but R is true
Solution
Packaging and delivering ER products is the Golgi's principal job (A true), and material does arrive in vesicles at the cis face and leave, modified, from the trans face (R true) — R describes how A is achieved.
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Save for spaced revision (free account)BotanyNEET 2023show ▾Movement and accumulation of ions across a membrane against their concentration gradient can be explained by:
- A.Osmosis
- B.Facilitated diffusion
- C.Passive transport
- D.Active transport✓
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ZoologyNEET 2023show ▾Which of the following are not considered as part of the endomembrane system?
A. Mitochondria · B. Endoplasmic reticulum · C. Chloroplasts · D. Golgi complex · E. Peroxisomes
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
- A.B and D only
- B.A, C and E only✓
- C.A and D only
- D.A, D and E only
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ZoologyNEET 2022show ▾Which of the following statements with respect to the endoplasmic reticulum is incorrect?
- A.SER are the sites for lipid synthesis
- B.RER has ribosomes attached to the ER
- C.SER is devoid of ribosomes
- D.In prokaryotes only RER is present✓
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ZoologyNEET 2021show ▾The organelles that are included in the endomembrane system are:
- A.Endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, ribosomes and lysosomes
- B.Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, lysosomes and vacuoles✓
- C.Golgi complex, mitochondria, ribosomes and lysosomes
- D.Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and lysosomes
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BotanyNEET 2020show ▾Which is the important site of formation of glycoproteins and glycolipids in eukaryotic cells?
- A.Endoplasmic reticulum
- B.Peroxisomes
- C.Golgi bodies✓
- D.Polysomes
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BotanyNEET 2019show ▾Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
- A.Lysosomes have numerous hydrolytic enzymes
- B.The hydrolytic enzymes of lysosomes are active under acidic pH
- C.Lysosomes are membrane-bound structures
- D.Lysosomes are formed by the process of packaging in the endoplasmic reticulum✓
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3. Mitochondria, plastids, ribosomes, cytoskeleton, nucleus
Exam focus: Mitochondria and plastids are the two organelles carrying their own circular DNA and their own 70S ribosomes — the same size class as a bacterial ribosome, not the 80S kind on the rest of the eukaryotic cell's machinery — which is exactly the evidence the endosymbiotic theory is built on.
Cell Organelles: Mitochondria, Plastids, Ribosomes, Cytoskeleton and Nucleus
Vedantu Biotonic for NEET
The full 'Cell: The Unit of Life' chapter lecture, so all five named organelles are covered, but bundled with the rest of the chapter (cell theory, cell wall, plasma membrane, endomembrane system) rather than isolated to just these five.
BotanyNEET 2025show ▾Match List I with List II.
List I List II A. Centromere I. Mitochondrion B. Cilium II. Cell division C. Cristae III. Cell movement D. Cell membrane IV. Phospholipid bilayer
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
- B.A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
- C.A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
- D.A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV✓
Solution
The centromere functions in cell division (II); a cilium in cell movement (III); cristae belong to the mitochondrion (I); the cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer (IV).
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Save for spaced revision (free account)BotanyNEET 2025show ▾From the statements given below choose the correct option:
A. The eukaryotic ribosomes are 80S and prokaryotic ribosomes are 70S.
B. Each ribosome has two sub-units.
C. The two sub-units of the 80S ribosome are 60S and 40S while those of the 70S are 50S and 30S.
D. The two sub-units of the 80S ribosome are 60S and 20S and those of the 70S are 50S and 20S.
E. The two sub-units of the 80S are 60S and 30S and those of the 70S are 50S and 30S.
- A.A, B, C are true✓
- B.A, B, D are true
- C.A, B, E are true
- D.B, D, E are true
Solution
Eukaryotic ribosomes are 80S (60S + 40S) and prokaryotic ribosomes are 70S (50S + 30S); every ribosome has two subunits. Statements A, B and C are correct; D and E give wrong subunit sizes.
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Save for spaced revision (free account)BotanyNEET 2024show ▾Match List I with List II.
List I List II A. Nucleolus I. Site of formation of glycolipid B. Centriole II. Organisation like a cartwheel C. Leucoplasts III. Site for active ribosomal RNA synthesis D. Golgi apparatus IV. For storing nutrients
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
- B.A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I
- C.A-I, B-II, C-III, D-IV
- D.A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I✓
Solution
The nucleolus is the site of rRNA synthesis (III); the centriole has a cartwheel organisation (II); leucoplasts store nutrients (IV); the Golgi apparatus forms glycolipids and glycoproteins (I).
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Save for spaced revision (free account)BotanyNEET 2024show ▾The DNA present in the chloroplast is:
- A.Circular, double-stranded✓
- B.Linear, single-stranded
- C.Circular, single-stranded
- D.Linear, double-stranded
Solution
Chloroplast DNA, like mitochondrial and bacterial DNA, is circular and double-stranded, without histones.
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Save for spaced revision (free account)ZoologyNEET 2024show ▾Match List I with List II.
List I List II A. Axoneme I. Centriole B. Cartwheel pattern II. Cilia and flagella C. Crista III. Chromosome D. Satellite IV. Mitochondria
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.A-IV, B-II, C-III, D-I
- B.A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
- C.A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III✓
- D.A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
Solution
The axoneme is the core of cilia and flagella (II); the cartwheel pattern is the centriole's structure (I); cristae are the mitochondrial inner-membrane folds (IV); the satellite is a chromosome region beyond a secondary constriction (III).
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Save for spaced revision (free account)ZoologyNEET 2024show ▾Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Mitochondria and chloroplasts are both double-membrane-bound organelles.
Statement II: The inner membrane of mitochondria is relatively less permeable, as compared to the chloroplast.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
- A.Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.
- B.Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.✓
- C.Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
- D.Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
Solution
Both mitochondria and chloroplasts are double-membrane-bound organelles (Statement I correct). NCERT describes the chloroplast's inner membrane as the relatively less permeable one, so Statement II, which says the reverse, is incorrect.
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Save for spaced revision (free account)ZoologyNEET 2023show ▾Which of the following functions is carried out by the cytoskeleton in a cell?
- A.Nuclear division
- B.Protein synthesis
- C.Motility✓
- D.Transportation
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BotanyNEET 2023show ▾How many different proteins does the ribosome consist of?
BotanyNEET 2022show ▾Match List-I with List-II.
List-I List-II (a) Metacentric chromosome (i) Centromere situated close to the end, forming one extremely short and one very long arm (b) Acrocentric chromosome (ii) Centromere at the terminal end (c) Submetacentric chromosome (iii) Centromere in the middle, forming two equal arms (d) Telocentric chromosome (iv) Centromere slightly away from the middle, forming one shorter and one longer arm
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.(a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
- B.(a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iv), (d)-(ii)✓
- C.(a)-(i), (b)-(iii), (c)-(ii), (d)-(iv)
- D.(a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(iv), (d)-(i)
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BotanyNEET 2021show ▾When the centromere is situated in the middle of two equal arms of a chromosome, the chromosome is referred to as:
- A.Metacentric✓
- B.Telocentric
- C.Sub-metacentric
- D.Acrocentric
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BotanyNEET 2021show ▾Match List-I with List-II.
List-I List-II (a) Cristae (i) Primary constriction in chromosome (b) Thylakoids (ii) Disc-shaped sacs in Golgi apparatus (c) Centromere (iii) Infoldings in mitochondria (d) Cisternae (iv) Flattened membranous sacs in stroma of plastids
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
- A.(a)-(iv), (b)-(iii), (c)-(ii), (d)-(i)
- B.(a)-(i), (b)-(iv), (c)-(iii), (d)-(ii)
- C.(a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)✓
- D.(a)-(ii), (b)-(iii), (c)-(iv), (d)-(i)
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BotanyNEET 2019show ▾Which of the following pairs of organelles does NOT contain DNA?
- A.Mitochondria and lysosomes
- B.Chloroplast and vacuoles
- C.Lysosomes and vacuoles✓
- D.Nuclear envelope and mitochondria
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BotanyNEET 2019show ▾Which of the following statements regarding mitochondria is incorrect?
- A.The outer membrane is permeable to monomers of carbohydrates, fats and proteins
- B.Enzymes of the electron transport chain are embedded in the outer membrane✓
- C.The inner membrane is convoluted with infoldings
- D.The mitochondrial matrix contains a single circular DNA molecule and ribosomes
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