Class 9 Science Cell: The Building Block of Life MCQs with Answers #1 (Based on New NCERT Book 2026–27)

Class 9 Chapter-2 Science Cell: The Building Block of Life
MCQ Questions with Answers (Part-1)

1. What is the limit of resolution of the human eye?

A) 0.01 mm

B) 0.1 mm

C) 1 mm

D) 10 mm

B) 0.1 mm

2. Who was the first person to observe a cell using a self-designed microscope in 1665?

A) Theodor Schwann

B) Matthias Schleiden

C) Camillo Golgi

D) Robert Hooke

D) Robert Hooke

3. According to the fluid-mosaic model, the cell membrane is primarily composed of:

A) A lipid bilayer with embedded proteins

B) A rigid layer of cellulose

C) Carbohydrates and nucleic acids

D) A single layer of proteins

A) A lipid bilayer with embedded proteins

4. The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane is known as:

A) Active transport

B) Osmosis

C) Plasmolysis

D) Cell division

B) Osmosis

5. Which structure provides rigidity to plant cells, helps them withstand environmental stresses, and is primarily made of cellulose?

A) Cell membrane

B) Cytoskeleton

C) Cell wall

D) Nuclear envelope

C) Cell wall

6. Which of the following is a characteristic of a prokaryotic cell?

A) It has a well-defined nucleus.

B) Its genetic material is present in an undefined region called the nucleoid.

C) It contains multiple membrane-bound organelles.

D) Its typical size ranges from 10 to 100 µm.

B) Its genetic material is present in an undefined region called the nucleoid.

7. Where does the synthesis of ribosomal subunits take place?

A) Inside the mitochondria

B) In the Golgi apparatus

C) In the nucleolus

D) On the smooth endoplasmic reticulum

C) In the nucleolus

8. Chromosomes, which contain information for the inheritance of characters, are composed of:

A) DNA and specific proteins

B) RNA and lipids

C) Cellulose and carbohydrates

D) Calcium oxalate and silica

A) DNA and specific proteins

9. Which organelle is responsible for the synthesis and storage of fats (lipids) and hormones?

A) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)

B) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

C) Lysosome

D) Ribosome

B) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

10. Which cell organelle acts as the cell’s "post office" by modifying, sorting, and packaging proteins and lipids into vesicles?

A) Nucleus

B) Mitochondrion

C) Golgi apparatus

D) Vacuole

C) Golgi apparatus

11. Which organelle acts as the cell's "clean-up system" because it contains enzymes capable of breaking down unwanted materials and damaged cell parts?

A) Lysosome

B) Ribosome

C) Chloroplast

D) Smooth ER

A) Lysosome

12. The inner membrane of a mitochondrion is folded into finger-like projections to increase surface area for energy production. These folds are called:

A) Stroma

B) Vesicles

C) Cristae

D) Nucleoids

C) Cristae

13. Which two organelles share an evolutionary history with single-celled bacteria and possess their own DNA and ribosomes?

A) Nucleus and Golgi apparatus

B) Mitochondria and plastids

C) Endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes

D) Vacuoles and chloroplasts

B) Mitochondria and plastids

14. Which type of plastid is colourless and functions primarily to store food materials such as starch, oils, or proteins?

A) Chloroplast

B) Chromoplast

C) Leucoplast

D) Ribosome

C) Leucoplast

15. What happens when an animal cell, such as a cheek cell, is placed in a concentrated sugar solution?

A) It loses water and shrinks.

B) It gains water and swells.

C) It remains unchanged due to its cell wall.

D) It performs osmosis to create more sugar.

A) It loses water and shrinks.

16. The most common type of cell division, which produces two genetically identical daughter cells for normal growth and repair, is called:

A) Meiosis

B) Mitosis

C) Fertilisation

D) Programmed cell death

B) Mitosis

17. During meiosis, a parent cell divides to form how many daughter cells?

A) Two

B) Four

C) Six

D) Eight

B) Four

18. In many animal cells, cell division naturally stops when cells come into contact with neighbouring cells. This regulatory process is called:

A) Totipotency

B) Contact inhibition

C) Plasmolysis

D) Programmed Cell Death (PCD)

B) Contact inhibition

19. What is the primary function of the large central vacuole in a mature plant cell?

A) Synthesizing proteins

B) Packaging cellular waste for export

C) Absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis

D) Storing water, minerals, and maintaining cell firmness

D) Storing water, minerals, and maintaining cell firmness

20. Which scientist expanded the Cell Theory in 1855 by stating that new cells are formed only from pre-existing cells?

A) Matthias Schleiden

B) Theodor Schwann

C) Rudolf Virchow

D) Camillo Golgi

C) Rudolf Virchow

21. Life may have originated in small water pools with changing environmental conditions, such as the hot springs found in which Indian region?

A) Kullu Valley

B) Puga Valley in Ladakh

C) Nubra Valley

D) Parvati Valley

B) Puga Valley in Ladakh

22. If both the eyepiece and the objective lens of a light microscope have a magnifying power of 10X, what will be the total magnification?

A) 10X

B) 20X

C) 100X

D) 1000X

C) 100X

23. What term is used to describe a solution where the solute concentration outside the cell is equal to the solute concentration inside the cell?

A) Hypertonic solution

B) Hypotonic solution

C) Isotonic solution

D) Saturated solution

C) Isotonic solution

24. The cell membrane is extremely thin. What is its approximate thickness?

A) 1 to 5 nanometres (nm)

B) 7 to 10 nanometres (nm)

C) 20 to 50 nanometres (nm)

D) 100 to 200 nanometres (nm)

B) 7 to 10 nanometres (nm)

25. In a non-dividing cell, DNA is present as an entangled mass of thread-like structures known as:

A) Chromatin material

B) Cristae

C) Nucleoid

D) Stroma

A) Chromatin material

26. Which of the following human cells is specialised to not have a nucleus when it is mature, providing more space to transport oxygen?

A) Nerve cell

B) Cheek cell

C) Pancreatic cell

D) Red Blood Cell (RBC)

D) Red Blood Cell (RBC)

27. What is the specific term used for the functional segments of a DNA molecule?

A) Chromatin

B) Genes

C) Ribosomes

D) Nucleoids

B) Genes

28. The Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER) appears rough under an electron microscope due to the presence of which structures attached to its surface?

A) Lysosomes

B) Golgi bodies

C) Ribosomes

D) Vesicles

C) Ribosomes

29. Inside a chloroplast, there is a semi-fluid substance that houses disc-shaped membrane structures containing chlorophyll. What is this semi-fluid substance called?

A) Cytoplasm

B) Cell sap

C) Matrix

D) Stroma

D) Stroma

30. Which type of plastids contain pigments like yellow, orange, or red, which attract pollinators and help in seed dispersal?

A) Chloroplasts

B) Leucoplasts

C) Chromoplasts

D) Vacuoles

C) Chromoplasts