Biology Forum Cell Biology Why are cells small?

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    • #7542
      pjd822
      Participant

      Hi, I am taking a basic biology course and the instructor has challenged us with the question "Why must cells be small?" The question was raised in the context of the DNA synthesis stage of the cell reproduction cycle.
      Thanks, Paul

    • #71884
      Poison
      Participant

      Bigger area=harder control
      Also it’s about the volume and surface area ratio. For optimum transport.

    • #72122
      david23
      Participant

      yeah pretty much, and also smaller the easier for nutrients to defuse within the cell.

    • #72429
      dr. dugmore
      Participant

      look up "black perl" not the movie the organism, its pretty cool, and its only got 1 cell

    • #72450
      Dustfinger
      Participant

      Cells are also small because many transports in the cytoplasm are achieved by diffusion. However, for a distance double the molecules need more than double the time. If cells were bigger, processes would be very very slow.

    • #72602
      Tae Jun, Yoon
      Participant

      I will give you some examples. Suppose that the shape of the cell is "sphere". then the volume of the sphere is (4/3)*pi*r^3, and the surface area of the sphere is 4*pi*r^2. the ratio of the volume to the area is (1/3)r. So as the value of r is increasing, the ratio is also increasing. Then the exchanging of materials through cell membrane is difficult.

    • #73431
      mehdi71000
      Participant

      If you’re panting a huge picture the smaller your brush is the more detail you will have

      If you had a 1mm diameter cell, for human to function the human would be very big. And I think if cells were big the cell walls in comparison would be very thin since a cell wall is 2 cholesterols thick if I’m not mistaken. just like an egg. an egg is a huge cell if you remove the shell the membrane is very easily puncture able. Reason 3 maybe you’re too big. 😆

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