AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer and Explanation: Compared to small cells, large cells have more trouble moving materials across the cellular membrane. This includes both moving needed materials in and getting rid of waste. The issue is that large cells have a lower ratio of surface area to volume.

Detailed explanation-2: -The larger a cell gets, the more difficult it is for nutrients and gases to move in and out of the cell. As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area.

Detailed explanation-3: -If a cell is too large, nutrients simply aren’t able to diffuse through the entire volume of the cell quickly enough. Materials must be able to reach all parts of a cell quickly, and when volume is too large relative to surface area, diffusion cannot occur at sufficiently high rates to ensure this.

Detailed explanation-4: -Smaller single-celled organisms have a high surface area to volume ratio, which allows them to rely on oxygen and material diffusing into the cell (and wastes diffusing out) in order to survive. The higher the surface area to volume ratio they have, the more effective this process can be.

Detailed explanation-5: -One of the issues with small cell is that they need to be located to meet the needs of the network, not where a suitable location is available.