Cell: The Unit of Life — NEET Botany MCQs with answers

Cell: The Unit of Life is a Class 11 Botany chapter in the NEET (UG) syllabus. NEET720 has 1,092 reviewed practice questions on it, each with a quick answer and a step-by-step explanation. The 8 questions below are free and fixed, so you can bookmark this page; the full chapter, plus mistake tracking and spaced revision, is in the app.

Topics covered

Cell Theory and Cell Overview · Cell Membrane and Cell Wall · Endomembrane System · Mitochondria, Plastids and Ribosomes · Nucleus, Cytoskeleton and Cell Appendages · Cell Theory and Overview · The Nucleus · Chemical Constituents and Analysis · Biomolecules - Macromolecules · Biomolecules - Enzymes · Biomolecules - Nucleic Acids · Mitochondria and Plastids · Cytoskeleton and Cell Appendages · Chemical Constituents · Cell Organelles · Vacuoles · Chromosome Structure · Lysosome-like Structures in Plants · Cell Size and Shape · Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells · Microbodies · Chromatin · Cell as Basic Unit · Eukaryotic Cell · Endoplasmic Reticulum · Lysosomes · Centrioles · Cell Membrane History · Plant vs Animal Cell · Cell Inclusions · Cell Theory · Cilia and Flagella · Cell Comparison · Peroxisomes · Chromosomes · Cell size · Cell Biology · Cell: The Unit of Life · Membrane Transport · Nucleus

8 free Cell: The Unit of Life practice questions with answers

Choose an answer in your head before opening it. Each explanation says why the correct option is right and, where relevant, why the tempting wrong option is wrong.

1. Question 1 · easy · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Robert Hooke, while examining a thin slice of cork under a self-designed microscope in 1665, observed small boxlike compartments. What did he name these structures?

   • A.Cells
   • B.Protoplasm
   • C.Nucleus
   • D.Vacuoles
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: A. Cells

   Hooke observed dead cork cells and named the honeycomb-like compartments 'cells' after monastic rooms (cellulae).

   Robert Hooke examined thin cork slices with a self-built compound microscope and saw empty boxlike compartments bounded by walls, resembling a honeycomb. He called them 'cells', a term he coined. The cork cells he saw were dead, so he actually observed only cell walls, not living contents. Protoplasm was coined much later by Purkinje for living substance; nucleus was discovered by Robert Brown; vacuoles are unrelated to this discovery.

   Common mistake: Students confuse Hooke's discovery of the cell wall/cell with Leeuwenhoek's discovery of living free cells.

   Key point: Hooke coined the term 'cell' in 1665 after observing dead cork tissue.

2. Question 2 · easy · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Unlike Robert Hooke, who saw only dead, empty cell walls in cork, which scientist first observed and described free-living cells (such as those in pond water) using an improved microscope?

   • A.Matthias Schleiden
   • B.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
   • C.Rudolf Virchow
   • D.Theodor Schwann
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: B. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

   Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, using self-ground lenses, was the first to see and describe living, free-living cells including bacteria and protozoans.

   Leeuwenhoek's simple but powerful hand-crafted lenses allowed him to observe moving, free-living cells in pond water, describing structures we now know as protozoa and bacteria. This was a major advance over Hooke's observation of dead cork cells, which were merely empty compartments. Schleiden and Schwann later formulated cell theory; Virchow explained that cells arise from pre-existing cells.

   Common mistake: Mixing up the sequence: Hooke (dead cells) came before Leeuwenhoek (living cells), which came before cell theory (Schleiden/Schwann).

   Key point: Leeuwenhoek was the first to see living cells, distinguishing his work from Hooke's dead cork observation.

3. Question 3 · medium · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Consider the following statements regarding the classical cell theory proposed by Schleiden and Schwann: Statement I: All living organisms are composed of cells and cell products. Statement II: The original 1838-39 formulation also correctly explained that cells arise only from pre-existing cells by division. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

   • A.Statement I is correct, Statement II is incorrect
   • B.Statement I is incorrect, Statement II is correct
   • C.Both statements are correct
   • D.Both statements are incorrect
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: A. Statement I is correct, Statement II is incorrect

   Schleiden and Schwann correctly proposed that all organisms are made of cells, but their theory did not explain how new cells arise; Virchow later corrected this with 'omnis cellula e cellula'.

   Statement I is correct: Schleiden (1838) and Schwann (1839) jointly proposed that all living organisms are composed of cells and their products. Statement II is incorrect: the original theory did not explain how new cells were formed; it was Rudolf Virchow in 1855 who established that cells divide and new cells arise from pre-existing cells, completing the modern cell theory.

   Common mistake: Assuming the complete modern cell theory (including cell origin) was proposed all at once by Schleiden and Schwann.

   Key point: The original Schleiden-Schwann theory covered composition, not origin, of cells; Virchow added the origin postulate.

4. Question 4 · easy · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   The nucleus, as a distinct cellular structure, was first described by which scientist while studying orchid cells?

   • A.Camillo Golgi
   • B.Johannes Purkinje
   • C.Robert Hooke
   • D.Robert Brown
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: D. Robert Brown

   Robert Brown discovered and described the nucleus as a distinct cell structure in 1831 while studying orchid cells.

   Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, first described the nucleus as a distinct component within the cell in 1831, based on his observations of orchid cells. This was a critical step toward understanding cellular organization. Golgi discovered the Golgi apparatus, Hooke discovered dead cork cells, and Purkinje coined the term protoplasm.

   Common mistake: Confusing Robert Brown (nucleus) with Robert Hooke (cell/cell wall).

   Key point: Robert Brown discovered the nucleus in 1831 while examining orchid cells.

5. Question 5 · medium · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Purkinje, in 1839, introduced a term to describe the living, fluid substance contained within a cell. This term is significant because it laid the foundation for later scientists to describe it as the 'physical basis of life'. Which term did Purkinje coin?

   • A.Cytoplasm
   • B.Nucleoplasm
   • C.Protoplasm
   • D.Chromatin
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: C. Protoplasm

   Purkinje coined 'protoplasm' for the living substance of the cell, which was later called the physical basis of life by Huxley.

   Purkinje used the term protoplasm to describe the fluid substance inside a cell, encompassing everything within the plasma membrane, including cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. This term was later famously called the 'physical basis of life' by Thomas Huxley. Cytoplasm and nucleoplasm are subdivisions of protoplasm, and chromatin is the DNA-protein material within the nucleus.

   Common mistake: Treating protoplasm and cytoplasm as synonyms rather than protoplasm being the inclusive term.

   Key point: Protoplasm = cytoplasm + nucleoplasm; the term was coined by Purkinje and later called the 'physical basis of life' by Huxley.

6. Question 6 · easy · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   The Latin phrase 'Omnis cellula e cellula', meaning that new cells arise only from pre-existing cells by division, was proposed in 1855 by:

   • A.Matthias Schleiden
   • B.Rudolf Virchow
   • C.Theodor Schwann
   • D.Robert Brown
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: B. Rudolf Virchow

   Rudolf Virchow, in 1855, modified the cell theory by explaining that all cells arise from pre-existing cells through division.

   Schleiden and Schwann's original theory (1838-39) did not explain how new cells originate. Rudolf Virchow, in 1855, provided this missing piece by proposing 'Omnis cellula e cellula'. Schleiden and Schwann proposed the compositional aspects; Brown discovered the nucleus, unrelated to cell origin.

   Common mistake: Attributing the complete modern cell theory to Schleiden and Schwann alone.

   Key point: Virchow's 1855 contribution: cells arise only from pre-existing cells by division, completing the modern cell theory.

7. Question 7 · medium · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Arrange the following historical events in the correct chronological order: 1. Virchow proposes 'Omnis cellula e cellula' 2. Hooke names 'cells' in cork tissue 3. Schleiden and Schwann jointly formulate cell theory 4. Robert Brown describes the nucleus

   • A.2 → 3 → 4 → 1
   • B.4 → 2 → 3 → 1
   • C.2 → 4 → 1 → 3
   • D.2 → 4 → 3 → 1
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: D. 2 → 4 → 3 → 1

   The correct order is: Hooke (1665) → Brown (1831) → Schleiden and Schwann (1838-39) → Virchow (1855).

   Robert Hooke named 'cells' in 1665 after observing cork tissue. Robert Brown described the nucleus in 1831. Schleiden and Schwann jointly proposed cell theory in 1838-39. Rudolf Virchow, in 1855, added that cells arise only from pre-existing cells, completing the modern cell theory.

   Common mistake: Placing Brown's nucleus discovery after Schleiden and Schwann's cell theory, when it actually preceded it.

   Key point: Memorize order: Hooke (1665) → Brown (1831) → Schleiden/Schwann (1838-39) → Virchow (1855).

8. Question 8 · easy · Cell Theory and Cell Overview

   Which of the following statements about cell number and organization in living organisms is correct?

   • A.All plants are strictly multicellular; no unicellular plant-like organisms exist.
   • B.Cell number in an organism directly determines its size; larger organisms always have larger individual cells.
   • C.Some organisms, such as Chlamydomonas and Paramecium, are unicellular and perform all life processes within a single cell.
   • D.Multicellular organisms always show division of labour, while unicellular organisms cannot perform diverse functions.
   Show answer and explanation

   Answer: C. Some organisms, such as Chlamydomonas and Paramecium, are unicellular and perform all life processes within a single cell.

   Unicellular organisms like Chlamydomonas and Paramecium perform all functions of life within a single cell.

   Living organisms may be unicellular (e.g., Chlamydomonas, Paramecium, Escherichia coli) or multicellular. A single cell in a unicellular organism carries out all functions needed for independent existence. Option A is wrong since unicellular photosynthetic organisms exist. Option B is wrong because organism size correlates with cell number, not cell size. Option D is wrong because a single cell can perform diverse functions.

   Common mistake: Assuming multicellularity is necessary for performing multiple life functions.

   Key point: A single cell, as in unicellular organisms, is capable of independently performing all functions of life.

Questions about Cell: The Unit of Life for NEET

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