A Level Biology Practice Exam

Which of the following processes results in the formation of two genetically identical cells?

1. Meiosis

2. Mitosis

3. Binary fission

4. Cloning

The correct answer is: Mitosis

The process that results in the formation of two genetically identical cells is indeed mitosis. Mitosis is a form of cell division that occurs in somatic cells, where a single cell divides to produce two daughter cells, each containing the same number of chromosomes and identical genetic material as the original cell. This is crucial for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction in multicellular organisms. In contrast, meiosis is a different type of cell division that leads to the formation of gametes (sperm and egg cells), resulting in four genetically diverse cells, each containing half the number of chromosomes as the original cell. Binary fission, commonly seen in prokaryotic organisms like bacteria, also leads to two genetically identical cells but is not technically classified under eukaryotic cell division processes like mitosis. Cloning, while it can result in genetically identical organisms or cells, is a broader term that encompasses various methods, including both mitotic and non-mitotic techniques, and is not inherently a cellular division process itself. Thus, among the options provided, mitosis is the most direct answer to the question of forming two genetically identical cells.