Final answer:
The body adapts surface area to volume ratios to aid in gas exchange by increasing surface area, which is necessary as cells grow, because larger cells have less surface area relative to volume. Adaptations like the branching of lung bronchioles and mitochondrial cristae increase surface area for diffusion. Cells may divide or die if the surface area is insufficient to support their volume.
Step-by-step explanation:
The surface area to volume ratio is critical for gas exchange in living organisms. As a cell grows, its volume increases faster than its surface area, leading to a decreased surface area to volume ratio. This makes diffusion less efficient for larger cells because there is less surface area available relative to the volume. Therefore, to facilitate gas exchange, organisms employ various adaptations to increase surface area relative to volume, such as the extensive branching of bronchioles in the lungs and the folding of the inner membrane of mitochondria called cristae.
As an example, consider two cells: the first cell with a volume of 1 mm³ and a surface area of 6 mm² has a high surface area-to-volume ratio of 6 to 1. The second cell, being larger, has a volume of 8 mm³ and a surface area of 24 mm², resulting in a lower surface area-to-volume ratio of 3 to 1. This illustrates how smaller cells have a comparative advantage in diffusion efficiency over larger cells due to their higher surface area to volume ratios. If a cell becomes too large, it may divide or die because the surface area is insufficient for the exchange of materials necessary for the cell's function.