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Surface Area to Volume Lab Name ___________________ Questions: Why are most cells microscopic? Why do cells need to divide (why can’t we have super big blob monster cells)? The surface of a cell, its plasma membrane, is the site of exchange between what’s inside and outside of the cell. This surface must allow enough nutrients to enter the cell as well as allow wastes to leave. This exchange is vital to the cell’s survival. As a cell increases in size, the volume increases. So does its surface area. The cubes above illustrate how, as the cells get bigger, the ratio of surface area to volume decreases. This ratio limits how large cells can be. Equation for VOLUME: Length x Width x Height Equation for SURFACE AREA: Length x Width x # of sides Equation for RATIO: Surface Area / Volume - Be sure to reduce! Practice: Calculate the following: Be sure to reduce! Measurement Surface Area Volume Ratio Surface area:volume L = 4 cm W = 4 cm H = 4 cm _____ Cm2 _____ Cm3 _____ : __1__ L = 2.5 cm W = 2.5 cm H = 2.5 cm _____ : __1__ To figure out which is the BEST or most efficient surface area to volume ratio, think of the ratio as being a building full of people with doors. The volume represents the number of people inside a building. The surface area represents the number of doors there are to get in out of it. Which ratio/building would you want to be in if there were a fire? 10:1 2:1 15:1 10:1 ( this means there are 10 DOORS in a building full of people 2:1 ( this means there are 2 DOORS in a building full of people 15:1 ( this means there are 15 DOORS in a building full of people Which ratio is the more efficient of the two you calculated above? _____ Agar Cube – Cell size - Diffusion Lab PSSA Anchor: Systems, Models Patterns Compare observations of the real world to observations of a constructed model Problem: What is the relationship between cell size and the rate of diffusion?