why do cells divide when they reach a particular surface area to volume ratio?

Question

i need to complete my PLO's, so i need the answer to tis question.. please help :]

Answer 1

The first answerer was on the right track. Surface area increases as the square (^2) of the size increase, whereas the volume increases as the cube (^3) of the size increase. For example, doubling the dimensions of a cell would make its surface area 4 times as big, but its volume 8 times as big.

The effect of this is that the surface area-to-volume RATIO decreases rather quickly as the cell gets bigger. Put another way, the volume of the cell increases much quicker than the surface area does.

Now a cell's volume is essential for the complex chemical reactions that take place in a cell, and for the large molecules that take place in them. But its surface area is also crucial, because it is where nutrients are absorbed and waste products removed.

If a cell gets bigger than a certain size, the increased metabolism that it would then be doing would not have enough surface area to exchange substances. And so there is an optimum size for a cell where the surface area-to-volume ratio is "just right".

This is why cells will divide rather than continue to get bigger.

Answer 2

As the cell increases in size, the volume increases much faster then the surface area. Every nutrient or waste has to pass through the cell membrane. So the cell reaches the maximum size when the cell membrane reaches its limit for providing the transport the cell needs. The cell either stop growing or divide.

Answer 3

According to Joseph Panno, Ph.D., in his book: ANIMAL CLONING: The Science of Nuclear Transfer, ISBN: 0-8160-6882-8, page 86, he writes:

("THE CELL CYCLE---Cells inherited the power of reproduction from prebiotic bubbles that split in half at regular intervals under the influence of the turbulent environment that characterized the Earth more than 3 billion years ago. This pattern of turbulent fragmentation followed by a brief period of calm is now a regular behavior pattern of every cell. Even today, after 3 billion years, many cells still divide every 20 minutes.")

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This seems to be saying that back when cells were first forming from primitive bubble like structures, likely something called microspheres, that it was the surface area to volume ratio of these "bubbles" that first set the pattern for future cell division. Somehow, during the course of the evolution of cells, their genomes "learned" to undergo genomic division at the same time that the cell's surface area/volume required it.

Answer 4

i imagine what you attempt to assert is that you've many cubes 1cmx1cmx1cm that you would possibly want to install a, enable say a container, of 5cmx5cmx5cm. Is that accurate ? contained in the bottom of the container you'll placed 5 cubes by technique of 5 cubes to finish the floor and also you'll attempt this 5 cases to fill the container on the end, you've 5 rows of 5 x 5 cubes each and every surfaces of the container will be 5 X 5 cubes = 25 sq. centimeters And the quantity (skill what number cubes contained in the container) will be 5 cubes x 5 cubes x 5 cubes = 100 twenty 5 cubic centimeters Now the ratio of the floor area to the quantity will be 25 / 100 twenty 5 = a million/5 (it is the floor divided by technique of the quantity) Is it ok ?

Answer 5

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