Cell Size

AP Biology· difficulty 3/5

side 1 SA/V = 6/1 = 6 side 2 SA/V = 24/8 = 3 side 3 SA/V = 54/27 = 2 As size increases, SA/V decreases larger cells exchange materials less efficiently

The trend shown explains why most cells stay small. Which biological consequence is MOST directly predicted by the trend?

  • A

    Larger cells are always more metabolically active

  • B

    Larger cells have more DNA per unit volume than smaller cells

  • C

    Larger cells have shorter generation times

  • D

    Larger cells have less surface relative to their interior volume, limiting nutrient exchange

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Explanation

As size grows, SA scales with the square and V with the cube of length, so SA/V drops, reducing the rate at which a cell can import/export materials.

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