Final answer:
Smaller bodies have a larger surface area relative to their volume compared to larger objects, impacting a cell's ability to function efficiently by affecting nutrient intake and waste expulsion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Smaller bodies have a larger surface area relative to their volume than do larger objects of the same shape. This concept is crucial in biology, particularly when examining cells. A larger cell has less surface area compared to its volume than a smaller cell, affecting its ability to absorb nutrients and remove waste. Since the surface area of a cell increases as the square of its radius, while volume increases as the cube of its radius, a greater size translates into a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio. This phenomenon restricts a cell's growth because, beyond a certain point, the plasma membrane cannot sufficiently facilitate the diffusion necessary for its volume.
In addition to cells, this relationship also applies to other organisms and objects. For instance, smaller organisms tend to heat up more quickly than larger ones due to their relatively larger surface area-to-volume ratio, which also allows them to be nearly the same temperature as their environment. Different shapes can also affect the surface area-to-volume ratio, with spherical shapes having the least surface area per unit volume.