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If the cells are spherical, the surface area increases as the square of the radius while the volume increases as the cube of the radius. Therefore, as the cells become larger, their volumes increase much more rapidly than their surface areas. Conversely, as the cells become smaller, their volumes decrease much more rapidly that their areas and so the surface area to volume increase.
With non-spherical cells the calculations are much more complex, but the general pattern still applies.
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Which cell has the greater surface area compared to its volume the large cell or one of the smaller cells?
A smaller cell has a higher surface area to volume ratio. A reason for this is volume is cubic (3D) and surface area is 2D so when surface area increases a little bit, the volume increases exponentially. And when the surface area shrinks a little bit, the volume decreases exponentially.
What happens to a cells surface area to volume ratio as it gets smaller?
It increases.
Is true that small cells have larger surface area to volume rations than do larger cells?
Cell have a greater surface area to volume rations than a larger cell.
Do cells divide to have a smaller surface area?
No. In fact, if they retain their combined volume, their surface area would increase.
what Plant cells often have smaller surface-to-volume ratios than animal cells. How do the plant cells overcome this issue?
Plant cells overcome the issue of smaller surface-to-volume ratios with the help of the central vacuole. The vacuole pushes the organelles and other cellular materials toward the outer edges of the cell
