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If a surface area:volume ratio gets too small, then it is difficult for the cell to absorb/expell substances, and substances must travel a long way to exit or leave the cell. This means that a cell will want a large surface area:volume ratio.

However, the surface area:volume ratio decreases as a cell expands. Because of this, a cell will reach a certain point where expanding any more will cause the cell to become inefficient due to its low surface:area to volume ratio.

Therefore, cells are limited by the efficiency of their ratio; they will not grow to a size where their ratio becomes too inefficient.

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14y ago
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14y ago

Well the ratio itself doesn't keep it from going large.

After a while, the volume of a cell will become large enough that the surface area will not be able to support the transport of protein and the stuff it needs to survive, and the cell becomes inefficient.

Therefore the cell divides through mitosis in order to maintain a smaller surface area to volume ratio.

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Q: How does surface volume ratio relate to a limit on cell expansion?
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Why does cell size limit function?

If a cell gets too large the function of the cell will decrease. This is because of the surface area to volume ratio, when the volume increase the surface area increases at a slower rate so it is harder for things to pass through the cell, and not as much room for things to enter and exit the cell.


What ratio limits the size of a cell?

The maximum size of a cell is determined by the ratio of surface area to volume.If the volume is too large compared to the surface area, it would take much too long for substances to move to and from the centre of the cell to the outside, or other areas of the cell. This means that the middle of the cell would not be likely to get enough nutrients and the cell would die.While there are dozens of biochemical factors, the primary physical limitation placed upon the size of the Cell is due to Cellular Division: activated due [according] to the volume of the Cell.The surface area to volume ratio is the limit to cell size. As the cell becomes bigger the surface area can not take care of the volume.


Why is there a size limit to cells and organisms?

It has to do with the ratio between their surface area and volume. As a cell gets larger in size, its volume tends to expand greater than its surface area. As nutrients and wastes can only be exchanged at the surface of a cell, its size is dictated by the ratio between its internal requirements for nutrients and wastes and the surfaces ability to exchange them with its environment. Sooner or later a cell reaches its maximum size because its nutrient/waste exchange requirements are maxed out by its surface area to do so.


How many cubic meters can a pallet hold?

A pallet is a flat surface on which you pile stuff. Usually there is a weight limit on how much you can pile on top of it before it breaks, rather than a volume limit. It would depend on how heavy the stuff is and how well it is piled and held together (how stable the load is) and how well the weight is distributed across the pallet.


Does a gas has both the shape and volume of its container?

A gas will expand to fill its container. This gives the gas the shape and volume of its container.

Related questions

What 3 things limit cell size?

DNA, Diffusion, and Surface Area to Volume Ratio.


What things limit cell size?

DNA, Diffusion, and Surface Area to Volume Ratio.


What is the upper limit for the volume of a polyhedron with surface area 1?

0.0941 cubic units.


What 3D shape has the most surface area?

For a given volume, you can make the surface area arbitrarily large. In other words, there is no upper limit.


Will an equilateral triangular prism have the least amount of surface area?

No. Relative to its volume, the greater the number of sides, the smaller the volume. In the limit, a cylinder (circular prism, with an infinite number of "sides") will have the least surface area.


How is it possible that the expansion of the universe is faster than the speed of light?

Relativity theory establishes a speed limit for objects travelling through space - but the expansion of the universe is the expansion of space. There is no speed limit for that expansion.


Why are their a surface to volume ratio limit to the size of cells?

When a cell gets too big, the surface-to-volume ratio becomes too low. Another way to look at this is that some parts of the cell will be too far away from the surface. Whichever way you look at it, the cell will not be able to get food and oxygen fast enough through its surface.


What is the surface area of a cube if the volume is 16 cm cubed?

The length of a side is about 2.519842cm without exceeding the volume limit. Taking the side length we have ((2.519842)squared)x6=38.0976222cm squared.


What two things limit the size of a cell?

2 things: Surface Area and Volume Surface: how much surface area (on the plasma membrane) determines how much nutrients the cell obtains, thus controlling how much the cell can grow. Volume: as the cell grows, the volume increases, and the cell's function stability decreases, thus weakening the cell and hindering the cells growth.


How did geography limit the northward expansion of both empires?

No


What happens to the surface area volume ratio of you increase the volume of a cell?

The important point is that the surface area to the volume ratio gets smaller as the cell gets larger.Thus, if the cell grows beyond a certain limit, not enough material will be able to cross the membranefast enough to accommodate the increased cellular volume.When this happens, the cell must divide into smaller cells with favorable surface area/volume ratios, or cease to function.That is why cells are so small.


Did European countries want to limit the US expansion?

yes