Compared with a Smaller Cell, a Larger Cell of the Same

Question

Compared with a smaller cell, a larger cell of the same shape has
A) less surface area.
B) less surface area per unit of volume.
C) the same surface-to-volume ratio.
D) a smaller average distance between its mitochondria and the external source of oxygen.
E) a smaller cytoplasm-to-nucleus ratio.

Accepted Answer

As the cell grows in size, its volume increases more rapidly than its surface area. As a result, a larger cell of the same shape will have less surface area per unit of volume compared to a smaller cell, which is disadvantageous for exchanging materials and waste with its environment. This is why cells tend to either stay small or increase their surface area by folding their membranes or developing specialized structures like villi or microvilli.