Surface Area Volume Fractions

What determines the rate of nutrients and waste are exchanged from the cell and the environment?

• surface ratio
• volume
• surface area
• surface area to volume ratio

Which cells are more efficient at obtaining nutrients?

• Small Cells
• Medium Size Cells
• Large Cells
• X-Large Cells

As a cell becomes larger, its

• surface area increases faster than its volume.
• volume increases faster than its surface area

The larger a cell is, the more difficult it is for the cell to move enough nutrients and wastes across its cell membrane to maintain its normal functions.

• True
• False

As a cell’s size increases, its ratio of surface area to volume decreases.

• True
• False

The rate at which wastes are produced by a cell partially depends on the cell’s

• surface area
• volume

How can surface area (SA) be increased? 

• Grow larger
• Divide into smaller pieces

High Surface area to volume ratio allows cells to do what quickly?

• Move materials around inside the cell
• Move materials in and out of the cell 
• Communicate to other cells
• Divide

This image shows how materials move into various sized cells in a given amount of time.... why does one square cell have more pink coloring than the others? 

• The surface area was too larger to get through
• The volume of the other cells was too large for the dye to get through
• There was not enough surface area for the dye to get through
• The volume was too low for the dye to stay in the square

Microvilli are tiny projections that extend off the cell to increase the Surface Area.  What purpose might that serve? 

• Increased absorption
• Better communication among cells
• Maintain homeostasis 
• Decreased oxygen use