The Size of a Metabolizing Cell is Limited by Its

Question

The size of a metabolizing cell is limited by its
A) extracellular matrix.
B) function.
C) nuclear size.
D) surface area-to-volume ratio.
E) genome size.

Accepted Answer

The size of a metabolizing cell is limited by its surface area-to-volume ratio. As a cell gets larger, its volume increases faster than its surface area, which limits the ability of nutrients and waste products to be exchanged through the cell membrane. Therefore, small cells have a better surface area-to-volume ratio and can efficiently carry out metabolic processes.