Why Are Cells So Small?

AP Biology

Why Are Cells So Small?

Today, well talk about
Surface area, volume, and surface area to volume ratio
Review diffusion
Why big organisms are usually multicellular
Connection to human body

Lets compare these two cells:

Cell A

Cell B

Lets compare the volume first:

Cell A

Cell B

cm

1 cm

3 cm

>

1 cm

cm

3 cm

Volume=Length Width
Height
=3cm 3cm
=1cm 1cm
3cm
1cm
=27cm3
=1cm3

Now lets compare the surface area:

Cell A

Cell B

3 cm

cm
1

cm
3

1 cm

3 cm

>

1 cm

Surface area=
6 area of one side
=6 (3cm
=6 (1cm
3cm)
1cm)
=54cm2
=6cm2

But what about the Surface Area to Volume Ratio??

Cell A

Cell B

3 cm

cm
1

cm
3

1 cm

3 cm
=54cm2/27cm3
=2/cm

<

1 cm

Surface Area/Volume
=6cm2/1cm3
=6/cm

Ok so what??
First, what do cells do?
Absorb nutrients and molecules (eating)
cell
Get rid of waste (pooping)
cell

Those are pretty important functions, right??

Diffusion
One of the methods cells use to eat and poop is diffusion.

Solute
Outside of cell/
Environment
Cell membrane
(semipermeable)
Inside of cell

Would the solutes move overall from inside of cell to the outside?
Or move from outside to inside?

(Assume that these solutes can cross the semipermeable membran

Outside of cell/
Environment

Inside of cell

Where did diffusion take place?

Across the cell membrane
= SURFACE of the cell

The more surface area you

have, the more diffusion and
other
Important functions can take
place!

Lets talk about volume

We saw why a large surface area is good. But what about volume?

A
B
Since the surface area is the same, the amount of interactions is the s
However, B is affected more because it has less volume than A.

Putting it together

We want the largest surface area possible in the numerator:

BIG NUMBER
We want the smallest volume possible in the denominator:
small number

= BIG NUMBER
The cell can interact more efficiently with the environment with a
larger surface area to volume ratio

Lets apply this concept

Why arent we one big giant cell?
The center wont get enough nutrients
All parts will get nutrients
and wont be able to get rid of waste and will be able to get rid of waste

Example of microvilli

These tiny finger-like protrusions are called micr

One place where we can find them is the lining of

our small intestines
Why are microvilli shaped like this?
What do you think happens in the intestines?