why cells are so small

Cells are so small so the surface area and volume of them can be proportional to each other. This helps with the efficiency of the cell's absorption and waste expulsion processes. Also by the cell's smallness, communication from the nucleus to other organelles is fast and the cell can be regulated while the conditions for diffusion are still ideal.
Marisa Graham

Cells are small because they need to be able to diffuse through materials easily. Also, materials inside and outside of the cell need to easily pass through the cell membrane, which makes it harder and slower for the materials to pass through the cell membrane
-Eileen Sorenson

Cells are small because the ratio of surface area to volume is the most efficient at their size. This is because when you have a lot of small objects vs a few big objects the surface area is much larger in relation to volume. Another reason is when the cells are small and plentiful, they are easier to replicate and replace when damaged.
Melissa Whiteley

If a cell grows beyond a certain size, materials will not be able to pass through the membrane fast enough to accommodate the inside of the cell. So when the cell reaches a size too large, it will divide into smaller cells in order to maintain a surface area/volume ratio that is more favorable to the functioning of the cell. Therefore, cells remain small in order to survive.
SOURCE: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/LAD/C5/C5_ProbSize.html
Danya Hangman

Cells are so small because they must constantly interact with their surrounding environments. This interaction causes cells to replicate themselves by breaking large molecules into smaller ones which allows for the entire surface area of the cell to be in contact with the environment once again. Environmental contact is vital to cells in order for nutrients and other items to pass through the cell membrane for nourishment. Cells are also so small because it is simply easier to replace them without disrupting the functioning of other cells within the normal environment (ex: human body or plant cells).
—Kayla Kopfmann

Cells are so small because they are easier to replace, and a cell needs to be small to be able to perform the tasks a cell needs to do. If cells were bigger it would be harder for the body to replace the cell without disrupting what is going on in the body and delaying a process. Also since the cells are so small it is easier for them to get the nutrients they need and to get rid of waste.
Source: http://www.brooklyn.edu/bc/ahp/MBG/MBG3/WhySmall.html
-Trisha Douvia

The reason why cells are small is because they are always interacting with the environment around them. In other words, material is always diffusing in or out of the cell through the plasma membrane. If a cell were to grow larger the internal volume increases, as does the surface area of the cell. However, the volume increases at a faster rate than the surface area. So if the cell reaches a large size it must divide or else it will pop. This is because the surface area isn't large enough to occupy the volume the cell holds.
-Brady Helmink

Cells are so small because if their surface area exceeds the volume, then it would require too much energy to keep the cell functioning. By being so small, they are far more sufficient than they would be if they were larger. This is a similar concept with insects. Most insects reach a point where they don't grow any larger because once they are too big, it takes too much energy to keep their bodies functioning. The smaller the cells, the easier it is to produce energy, and to allow materials to flow into and out of the cell. If cells get too big, they require too much energy and will no longer be able to allow material to flow in or out.
-Kelsey Prosser

There are a few reasons why cells are so small. The smaller the cell is the faster it can communicate which means that it will be able to diffuse faster and with much less complications. Also since cells are small, they can go through reproduction smaller. Just think if we had large cells to reproduce? That might take much longer. If the cells are small, they also wont destruct as easy due to the tough cell walls around a smaller cell. If a bigger cell had the same cell wall, i think it would be easier to be damaged. So the main point about our cells being small is that they are all around faster and more efficient.
-Shelby Pomerenke

Cells have such a small size for their own benefit. First they are small in size to allow nutrients and other materials to diffuse through the cell membrane, they keep a small ratio of surface area to volume. Also the size of cells makes them easier to reproduce and replace, as this is a constant process.
- Brittany Williamson

Cells are so small because they need to minimize the distance between their nucleus and the other organelles that it must constantly regulate. A smaller cell maximizes the speed that intercellular communications can happen, yet still provides ideal conditions for diffusion. If cells were larger, the distance between their nucleus and organelles would be increased, therefore decreasing the maximum speed of the intercellular communications.
-Carey Baczwaski

Cells are small for very specific reasons. Through time cells have evolved to be the size they are so that the surface area to volume is proportion and the amount of energy required to move things in and out is minimal. The small size also allows the cells to reproduce easily and quickly when damaged or trying to multiply. If cells were to large they, could not reproduce quickly and it would take to much energy to move things in and out of the cell.
-Brice Buryanek

Cells are always being destroyed and needing replacement. For example, skin cells are constantly being shed from our bodies and need replaced if damaged. Cells are the perfect size to reproduce quickly to replace the missing ones. Their size is also beneficial for nutrients to be passed and turned into energy quickly.
—-Laci Swanson

The main reason cells are so small is because they need to maintain a surface area to volume ratio that allows them to obtain enough material to carry-on the metabolic processes and get rid of the waste products of said processes. Volume is the determining factor in how much material is needed to be imported and exported from the cell, while surface area determines the rate at which this can be done. Since, mathematically speaking, volume increases at a greater rate than surface area when expanding the size of anything, in cells that get too large the surface area is not able to import and export materials fast enough to support the volume of the cell and the cell dies.

The Reason cells are so small is obviously that they need to be able to function correctly in the very small environment they thrive in. If cells were large, they wouldn't be able to diffuse through other parts of the cell and they wouldn't be able to maintain the bodies internal homeostasis. Cells' small size helps for fast, quick, and efficient production of new cells to replace the many that die on a daily basis.
--Colin Schroeder

Cells are so small for a number of different reasons. One of these reasons is because being so small makes it much easier for the cells to interact with their environment. Another reason why cells are so small is because they are constantly dying. If cells were very large and they died at the same rate as they do now, it would take a very long time for the waste to be taken care of. Sine they are so small, cells are easy to get rid of and easy to replace.
--Mackenzie Dorsett

Cells are so small because it allows them to have a better surface area to volume ratio. This makes it much easier for the cell to bring in necessary nutreints and excrete wastes. Also the smaller the cell is, the less time it takes to replicate the small cell as opposed to a bigger cell.
-Scott Varilek

Cells are small so that they are more efficient. By being smaller it allows them to diffuse faster, which makes the communication process that much faster and better. Small cells also allows for a larger quantity of them and requires less energy for cells as well because they are so small. Even though they die faster, they replicate just as fast. Big cells would not be as effective and wouldn't replicate as fast, communicate or diffuse as fast as the small cells do.
Becky Lenhart

This has been commonly mentioned above but cells like to be a smaller size because they do not function as well when larger. This poor function would be to the greater distance between organelles, which would delay the cells common mechanisms. The cell also would not be able to handle amount of cell mass that is now present because the cell membrane would be thinner do to the increase in surface area needed to cover the volume. Cells are small so they can function roperly and being small help them to promote specialization with in the organism.
Matthew Kerr

As mentioned above, cells are small because they function most efficiently at that size. If cells were too large, they would be unable to use energy in the way they do now. Also they would not be able to perform tasks because they were simply to big. Small size allows for a larger quantity of cells so that they can communicate better.
Emily Peterson

Cells are so small because the function of them needs to be quick. With being small the diffusion rate with both chemical and electrical movement is fast. Also, the surface area and volume need to correlate and if cells were larger the volume would surpass the surface area.
-Katie Lackey

Cells are so small because they need to move quickly is a small environment. If the cells were larger they wouldn't be able to diffuse through the body. If a cell gets larger then the demand of nutrients and supply of waste increases compared to the surface area.
-Brandon Waszgis

Cells are so little, so they can maximize their ratio of surface area to volume. Smaller cells have a higher ratio which allow more molecules and ions move across the cell membrane per unit of cytoplasmic volume.
-Hoa Le

Cells are so small because they need to be able to get the nutrients in and the waste out quickly. With a small surface area the cell functions would slow and be fatal to the cell.
Brianna Carter
Brianna Carter

  • why are cells so small?

Cells are small because they need to be able to diffuse through materials easily. Also, materials inside and outside of the cell need to easily pass through the cell membrane, which makes it harder and slower for the materials to pass through the cell membrane
-Eileen Sorenson

Cells are so small because the cell surface area fits in with what the cells task is. The small size of the cell helps with the diffusion and osmosis which is a vital part of what some cells do. The cell size and volume are inter-related. Also, if cells were bigger in volume and surface area some molecules that are not supposed to get through may end up slipping through the cell walls or gates.
-BRANDI BURKE : )

Being small allows cells to adapt easier to environmental changes, have larger populations, and complete their functions more efficiently because the have less restrictions to to set areas due to their small size.
-Sam Emerick

Being small, a cell becomes more efficient. The cell has a minimal distance between the nucleus and proteins/ organelles so this allows the cell to communicate faster. The message doesn’t have to travel as far. Another way the cell becomes more efficient is by the transportation of nutrients. The cell membrane maintains a size that allows it to effectively move nutrients in the cell and waste out. If these nutrients get to the proper organelle in an faster time, the cell will function more efficiently.
- Alex Permann

Cells are small because with a small surface area it give them the right about of space for transporting of nuitrients as well as excreting waste. If the cell was to get bigger so would the need for more nutrients as well as to get rid of more waste. Also, from my findings a cells volume can grow with out the surface area changing.
Source=http://users.uma.maine.edu/SusanBaker/cells%20CR.ppt#268,16,Prokaryotic Cell Structure
-Anna Ahrens

Cells are small because they need to keep a surface area to volume ratio that allows for adequate intake of nutrients while being able to excrete the cells waste. That is why the cell needs to be small. The smaller it is, the larger the surface area to volume ratio is.
Cody Kruckenberg

Cells are small so they can have an efficient surface area to volume ratio. This is going to allow the cell to easily bring in nutrients and excrete waste product. If the cell was larger there would be a waste of space in the cell and it would take longer for proteins and enzymes to travel about the cell. This is why cells are so small.
CJ Gradoville

Cells are so small so they can diffuse faster and all their processes will be a lot faster because of the smaller size of the cell. Also their surface area to volume ratio is greater the smaller the cell is which allows the cell to bring in its vital nutrients and excrete its waste products with the environment more quickly.
Molly O'Neill

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