How Does Cell Size Affect Volume and Surface Area?

As a cell becomes larger, its (Chapter 10)

a. volume increases faster than its surface area

b. surface area increases faster than its volume

c. volume increases, but its surface area stays the same

d. surface area stays the same, but its volume increases

Final answer: Option a. As a cell grows in size, its volume grows faster than its surface area.

As a cell increases in size, its volume increases faster than its surface area. In other words, the correct answer would be choice a. This is due to the fact that volume is equal to length x width x height, meaning it increases at a cubic rate. On the other hand, surface area is computed by length x width and only increases at a quadratic rate.

This phenomenon is important in biology because it limits cell size. A cell with a larger volume would have trouble getting enough nutrients and disposing of wastes, due to its relatively small surface area for trade with the environment.