Chapter 10.1 Assessment

1.B. As a cell's size increases, what happens to the ratio of its surface area to its volume?

As a cell grows, its surface area-to-volume ratio decreases.

1.C. Why is a cell's surface area-to-volume ratio important?

As a cell's volume grows, its membrane needs more and more surface area to bring nutrients, oxygen, and water into the cell and move waste out. The cell's surface area-to-volume ratio shows how much area is available to move materials in and out of the cell compared to the cell's volume.

2.B. What types of organisms reproduce sexually?

Most animals and plants reproduce sexually, as do some single-celled organisms.

1.A. Identify two reasons why cell's growth is limited.

The larger a cell becomes, the more demands it places on its DNA and the more trouble it has moving enough nutrients and wastes across the cell membrane.

2.A. What is asexual reproduction? What is sexual reproduction?

Asexual reproduction is the production of offspring from only one parent. Sexual reproduction is the production of offspring from two parents.

2.C. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both asexual and sexual reproduction?

Asexual reproduction occurs rapidly, enabling a population to increase rapidly; however, the offspring are genetically identical and may not survive a change in the environment. Sexual reproduction takes longer, so a population does not grow fast; however, the offspring have a mix of genetic material from two parents that might help the population survive if the environment changes.