Most cells are very small. What physical and matabolic constraints limit cell size?

Question

What problems would an enormous cell encounter? What adaptations might help a very large cell survive?

Answer 1

it might not recieve much oxygen so it will die

Answer 2

As the cell (or anything) increases in size, the surface area to volume ratio decreases. This is a problem simply because the amount of surface that is in contact with the surroundings becomes smaller compared to the amount of cell there is. So the amount of available surface for diffusion of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and nutrients across the cell membrane would become insufficient to sustain the cell if it were to keep growing. So, it must remain small or, as you said, be adapted to survive.

Larger cells can survive by increasing their surface area. Microvilli (foldings of the cell surface membrane) help to increase the surface area. The cell can also be flat (or concave like red blood cells) which increases surface area and helps each part of the cell to be closer to the cell membrane, decreasing the distance between the cell components (organelles) and the surface membrane. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Matabolic

Answer 4

What comes to mind immediately is:

- the cell wouldn't be able to efficiently absorb nutrients through osmosis

Answer 5

Try homework help or doing your own research.