Cell cycle and apoptosis Practice Questions
19 free Cell cycle and apoptosis practice questions for the USMLE Step 1, each with the correct answer and a detailed explanation. Open any question below, or take the full set as an interactive quiz.
Questions
19 questions
All Cell cycle and apoptosis questions
- Q1. Which phase of the cell cycle is characterized by DNA synthesis (duplication of the genome)?
- Q2. What is the primary role of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) in the eukaryotic cell cycle?
- Q3. Which checkpoint prevents a cell with DNA damage from entering S phase, allowing time for repair or triggering cell death if damage is irreparable?
- Q4. What is the significance of the G0 phase in the cell cycle?
- Q5. Which of the following proteins is a key tumor suppressor that regulates both cell-cycle checkpoints and apoptosis in response to DNA damage?
- Q6. Which phase immediately follows completion of DNA replication in the cell cycle and precedes mitosis?
- Q7. What is the main outcome of the metaphase (spindle) checkpoint during mitosis?
- Q8. Which of the following best describes apoptosis?
- Q9. Which apoptosis pathway is initiated by extracellular ligands binding to specialized receptors on the target cell membrane?
- Q10. Which of the following is a hallmark biochemical event during the execution phase of apoptosis?
- Q11. A cell with irreparable DNA damage fails the G2/M checkpoint. What is the most likely cellular fate?
- Q12. Which of the following best explains why mitotic and apoptotic cells share some morphological features such as chromatin condensation and membrane blebbing?
- Q13. Which of the following describes a reason why the cell cycle is tightly regulated with checkpoints rather than proceeding continuously?
- Q14. Which cyclin/CDK complex is primarily active during the G1-to-S phase transition allowing the cell to commit to DNA replication?
- Q15. Which of the following is NOT a typical morphological feature of a cell undergoing apoptosis?
- Q16. Which statement best describes the relationship between cell cycle regulation and apoptosis in tissue homeostasis?
- Q17. Which proteins are the main effectors that execute the biochemical processes of apoptosis by cleaving cellular substrates?
- Q18. What happens if a cell bypasses the spindle checkpoint despite improper spindle attachment during mitosis?
- Q19. Which event typically precedes activation of apoptosis in a cell with extensive DNA damage that cannot be repaired?