OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

What type of cells does mitosis produce?

1. Haploid daughter cells

2. Diploid daughter cells

3. Spermatids

4. Gametes

The correct answer is: Diploid daughter cells

Mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells that are genetically identical to the original parent cell. In humans and many other organisms, these processes typically lead to the formation of diploid daughter cells. This means that the daughter cells have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent, maintaining the diploid number. This characteristic is crucial for growth, development, and repair of tissues in multicellular organisms. For instance, when you cut your skin, mitosis helps produce new cells to replace those that were lost. The diploid cells then undergo further differentiation as needed. In contrast, haploid daughter cells, spermatids, and gametes are all products of meiosis, which is a different type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half to form sex cells. Therefore, the correct answer emphasizes the role of mitosis in producing diploid daughter cells, which is essential for maintaining the genetic stability of somatic tissues.