Biology Keystones: Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Why are large cells inefficient?
Large cells cannot grow beyond a certain size because they need a large amount of resources. Their small surface area creates "bottleneck" absorption of materials, as the cell membrane is not big enough to allow necessary materials to enter/exit cell.
Brain folds location and function
Location- brain, Function- increase area of nerves for nerve impulses
Dendrites location and function
Location- fingers on nerve cells, Function- increase area to help transmit nerve impulses
Cristae location and function
Location- folds in mitochondria, Function- increase surface area to make ATP
Tongue / taste buds location and function
Location- in your mouth, Function- helps moisten food for digestion
Nephron location and function
Location- microscopic tubes in kidney, Function- increase surface area for cell transport and filtration of urine and blood
Microvilli location and function
Location- small intestines, Function- increase area for food absorption during digestion
Alevoli location and function
Location- tiny sacs in lungs, Function- increase area for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange
What kind of cells have a greater reaction rate?
Small cells
How does surface area affect reaction rate inside the cell?
Small cells have a small volume and high surface area to volume ratio, which allows materials necessary for cell to function to move quickly across the cell membrane. They are more efficient. Large cells have a large volume and small surface area to volume ratio because volume increases much faster than surface area. This causes materials to move slower across the cell membrane. They are not as efficient.
