Final answer:
The surface area of a cube-shaped cell with each side measuring 4 micrometers is 96 micrometers squared. This concept is crucial in understanding cellular efficiency in nutrient and waste exchange as the cell size increases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question revolves around the calculation of the surface area of a cube-shaped cell, which is a concept that has implications in biology, especially in understanding how cell size affects functioning in terms of nutrient and waste exchange through the cell membrane.
To calculate the surface area of a cube-shaped cell that measures 4 micrometers on each side, we use the formula for the surface area of a cube which is 6 × (side length) ². Since each side is 4 micrometers long:
- Surface Area = 6 × (4 µm) ² = 6 × 16 µm² = 96 µm².
This calculation illustrates that as cells grow in size, they might encounter limitations due to a decreased surface area-to-volume ratio, potentially affecting their efficiency in exchanging substances with their environment.