Cells with smaller surface areas may function more efficiently in certain situat

Question

Cells with smaller surface areas may function more efficiently in certain situations than cells with larger surface areas.

(a) Discuss the relationship between cell size and the ratio of surface area to volume.

(b) Discuss why cell division is essential in the developmental stages of fetal growth as it relates to cell communication that leads to cell differentiation.

(c) Explain which cell in the figure above would be most efficient in removing internal cell waste by diffusion. (Note: the formula for the surface area of a cube is 6s2, and the formula for the volume of a cube is s3, where s = the length of a side of the cube.)

(d) Support your answer with mathematical data.

Explanation / Answer

a. Relationship between cell size and ratio of surface to area to volume:

With increase in the size of the cell, there is increase in the cell surface as well as volume but it is not proportionate to the length of the cell. It is very clear that cell size and volume ratio decreases with increase in the the cell diameter. So at after a certain period of time the ratio becomes so small that is not capable to supply nutrients sufficiently to the cell volume. This relationship is the basis of determination of various cell size upto particular limit. The rate of metabolism of a growing cell is directly proportional to the volume of the cell. This leads to the division of cells by mitosis when the cell become large (surface area to volume ration decreased too much).

b. cell division is essential in the developmental stages of fetal growth as it relates to cell communication that leads to cell differentiation because:

During cell division tere are transfer of many information in the form of genetic codes that translated and expressed helps in diffrent stages of development of embryo. The regulated manner of division of cells lead to the activation and suppression of various proteins and factors that lead to thye differentiation and reagulation of the cell. The various stages of cell division like prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase is an excellent example of cell cell communication in order to balanced and maintained cell division to occur. This is followed by duplication of the genetic material that passes the genetic information to the next generation cells. Somilarly, controlled proliferation of cells are the steps that lead to the controlled cell differentiation.

c. No figure available.

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