2006-11-02 07:25:10 · 9 answers · asked by Patrick M 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Suface Area and Transport Distance. I Strongly Suspect the Reason Prokaryotic/Eukaryotic Cells Are the Size they Are is Because of Evolutionary Optimization by Natural Selection.
2006-11-02 07:43:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it makes it much more efficient for cells to be small. Much smaller distances across mean that energy doesn't have to travel that far, and wastes don't have to travel very far to exit the cells.
It should be noted that not all cells are very small. Any type of egg is a single cell.
2006-11-02 15:31:54 · answer #2 · answered by Wally M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Becasue of the relationship of surface area and volume. At a certain point, increase in cell volume becomes impractical, becase the cell is too large to efficiently transport substances necessary for metabolism to and from it's interior. The volume (4/3 * pi * r^3) at some point, increases much faster than surface area (4 * pi * r^2)--another problem for the cell, since surface area is required for transport of substances.
2006-11-02 15:30:21 · answer #3 · answered by Michael T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has to do with surface area versus volume. All the areas of the cell need air, water, nutrients, and other things that can only be obtained outside the cell. So only so much volume can be upkept by the amount of stuff that can come though the cell membrane.
2006-11-02 17:02:32 · answer #4 · answered by nyad13 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The better to see you with, my dear.
Cells are the building blocks. Some creatures are singled cell. Wouldn't it be crazy if cells were 1000x the size they are now? We would be huge!
2006-11-02 15:33:17 · answer #5 · answered by Sherpa 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
because the smaller u are the more efficent u'll be (talking in terms of cells ofcourse).... because the cell has soo many functions, it needs to be small in order to complete them, if it was bigger then it wud take a longer time than necessary...
2006-11-02 15:30:54 · answer #6 · answered by D.P 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
b/c they are the units of LIFE!! :D
2006-11-02 20:10:36 · answer #7 · answered by sweetchik5188 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why is grass green? Why do I want to know?
2006-11-02 15:27:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
They just are, like why are elephants big...
2006-11-02 15:28:19 · answer #9 · answered by Katrina 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋