Cell Size

The Importance of Cell Size
      The cell is the basic unit of life. The average cell size is 10um. There are many things necessary for an organism such as a cell to be considered a living thing.   One reason cells are not smaller than 0.1um is because the size of mitochondria is approximately 1.0um to 10um.   Mitochondria are a membrane-enclosed organelle found in most eukaryotic cells.   Often times mitochondria are described as the cell’s powerhouse because they supply most of the ATP, which is used as a source of chemical energy. Without energy a cell is inactive and not living. Another obvious reason for this is the nucleus.   The nucleus has an average size of 5um.   The nucleus is essential to the life of a cell. It contains the genetic information that is passed on from cell to cell and from generation to generation.   The ribosomes use this information to carry out protein synthesis.   The third reason a cell could not be smaller than 0.1um is because of these ribosomes. All cells need ribosomes because that is where protein synthesis takes place. Proteins are required for enzymatic activity, cellular structures and functioning, metabolic activity, and are essential for life to occur.

      There are many reasons that a single-celled animal cannot reach a size larger than 1000um.   The first reason is that a cell at this size would consist of too much volume. With a large amount of volume, there won’t be enough surface area. When the size of a cell increases, the surface area and the volume also increases, but the volume of the cell will increase faster than the surface area will.   When there is too much volume, and not enough surface area, there is no way of moving food from the outside of the cell to the inside. This will also make energy unable to move around the cell.   Another reason why cells cannot be larger than 1000um is because of the DNA.   DNA must be available to produce the enzymes and proteins needed for proper functioning. A cell that is too...