Q.97 Botany ⭐ 360° Option Elimination Active

NEET 2026 Botany Question 97 Solution

Topic: Cell: The Unit of Life · Official NTA Booklet Code 50

Question

Match List-I with List-II. List I: A. Cristae; B. Cisternae; C. Thylakoids; D. Phospholipid. List II: I. Flat membrane sacs in stroma of chloroplast; II. Infoldings in mitochondria; III. Cell membrane; IV. Disc shaped sacs in the Golgi apparatus. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

✓

Verified Against NTA Final Answer Key

Option (2) : A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III

📚 Cell: The Unit of Life Easy

📋 Given Parameters & Problem Setup

List-I A. Cristae, B. Cisternae, C. Thylakoids, D. Phospholipid

List-II I. Flat membrane sacs in stroma of chloroplast, II. Infoldings in mitochondria, III. Cell membrane, IV. Disc shaped sacs in the Golgi apparatus

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The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ Organellar Infolding & Sac Fingerprint

⏱️ Save ~45 seconds

Cristae = Mitochondria (A-II); Cisternae = Golgi (B-IV) -> Locks Option (2) in 10 seconds!

1 A. Cristae: Infoldings of the inner membrane of mitochondria to increase surface area -> A-II.

2 This immediately eliminates Options (1) and (4)!

3 B. Cisternae: Flattened disc-shaped concentric sacs in Golgi apparatus -> B-IV.

4 C. Thylakoids: Flattened membranous sacs in the stroma of chloroplasts (site of light reactions) -> C-I.

5 D. Phospholipid: Bilayer building block of the cell membrane (fluid mosaic) -> D-III.

6 Sequence: A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III -> Option (2) is 100% verified!

🛡️

Why You Can 100% Trust This Shortcut: Direct verbatim alignment with NCERT Cell Biology sections on Mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, Plastids, and Plasma membrane.

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Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Step 1

Match Cristae (Item A)

The inner membrane of mitochondria forms a number of infoldings called cristae (sing. crista) towards the matrix. Cristae increase the surface area available for ATP synthesis and electron transport chain complexes.

\text{Cristae} \longrightarrow \text{II. Infoldings in mitochondria}

• Match: A -> II.

Step 2

Match Cisternae (Item B)

The Golgi apparatus consists of many flat, disc-shaped sacs or cisternae of 0.5 µm to 1.0 µm diameter, stacked parallel to each other with distinct cis (forming) and trans (maturing) faces.

\text{Cisternae} \longrightarrow \text{IV. Disc shaped sacs in the Golgi apparatus}

• Match: B -> IV.

Step 3

Match Thylakoids (Item C)

In the stroma of chloroplasts, a number of organized flattened membranous sacs are present, called thylakoids. Thylakoids are arranged in stacks like piles of coins called grana.

\text{Thylakoids} \longrightarrow \text{I. Flat membrane sacs in stroma of chloroplast}

• Match: C -> I.

Step 4

Match Phospholipid (Item D)

Phospholipids form the foundational continuous bimolecular lipid bilayer of the cell membrane, with hydrophilic polar heads pointing outward and hydrophobic fatty acid tails pointing inward.

\text{Phospholipid} \longrightarrow \text{III. Cell membrane}

• Match: D -> III.
• Full Match: A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III (Option 2).

⭐

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

Diagnose every choice: Know exactly why the right option works and why distractors fail.

4-Option Deep Scan

1 A

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Assigns cell membrane to cristae and infoldings in mitochondria to phospholipids.

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Swapping roman numerals II and III.

2 B

✓ 100% Correct

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Exact match with textbook definitions of cellular membranes and organelles.

💡

Why this is airtight: None; flawless cytology knowledge.

3 C

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Assigns cell membrane to thylakoids and chloroplast sacs to phospholipids.

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Swapping thylakoids and phospholipids.

4 D

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Assigns Golgi sacs to cristae.

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Confusing cristae with cisternae.

⚠️

NTA Trap Alert: Confusing Cristae with Cisternae

The names sound very similar: Cristae are in MITOCHONDRIA (folds); Cisternae are in GOLGI (stacked flattened discs).

🛡️ How to avoid the -1 mark: Remember: Cristae has "T" for miTochondria; Cisternae has "G" sound for Golgi!

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Core NEET Syllabus Standard

NEET Biology Core Syllabus · Cell: The Unit of Life Standard Benchmark

Core Scientific Principle Tested:

"Organelles possess distinct specialized membranes: Cristae (mitochondria), Cisternae (Golgi), Thylakoids (chloroplast), Phospholipids (plasma membrane)."

Syllabus Focus: Endomembrane system, mitochondria, and plastid ultrastructure

✓ Core NEET UG Syllabus Anchor Syllabus & Academic Standards ↗

Cristae fold Mitochondria; Cisternae stack Golgi high; Thylakoid lights Chloroplast; Phospholipids line cell sky!

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NEET 2026 Botany Question 97 Solution

Question

The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ Organellar Infolding & Sac Fingerprint

Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Match Cristae (Item A)

Match Cisternae (Item B)

Match Thylakoids (Item C)

Match Phospholipid (Item D)

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

NTA Trap Alert: Confusing Cristae with Cisternae

Core NEET Syllabus Standard

Ready to attempt under real exam pressure?

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