Question

As a cell increases in size, its small surface area to volume ratio limits the rate of exchange of materials with its surroundings. A cell can solve this problem by:

Answer 1

A cell that grows too large cannot efficiently exchange materials due to a low surface area-to-volume ratio. To solve this, a cell may divide, increase surface area with membrane foldings, become flat, or develop specific organelles.

Step-by-step explanation:

As a cell increases in size, its surface area-to-volume ratio decreases, which limits the rate of exchange of materials like nutrients and waste with its surroundings. The formula for the surface area of a sphere is 4πr², and the volume is ⅔3πr³. Therefore, as the radius of a cell increases, surface area increases by the square of the radius, while the volume increases much more rapidly, by the cube of the radius. When a cell grows too large, it has insufficient surface area to support the necessary rate of diffusion for the increased volume. To overcome this challenge, a cell will either divide to maintain a manageable size and surface area-to-volume ratio, or develop specific adaptations such as:

• Increasing surface area through foldings of the cell membrane
• Becoming flat, thin, and elongated
• Developing organelles that perform specific tasks

These solutions help maintain efficient exchange with the environment and have led to the evolution of more sophisticated cells known as eukaryotic cells.