Cellular Organisms: Large Surface Area To Volume Ratio

Cells and molecules in the environment are constantly moving and changing, for cells to function properly there is a need for equilibrium to be met. The size of the cell and the solution outside of the cell affects the rate of diffusion and osmosis in the cell. Cells are constantly trying to reach an equilibrium with the molecules and substances around it, which is why there are such terms as: hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic. The procedures allowed testing of whether or not surface area or volume increased diffusion and how different substance control diffusion. Cells are constantly moving to reach equilibrium through diffusion and osmosis.

4. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION CONCLUSION The data did support my hypothesis as stating that the larger a cell is, the harder it is for diffusion to take place as the surface area to volume ratio decreases throughout evidence supported. There is a pattern in table 5 shows that, the surface area to volume ratio decreases when the agar jelly increases in size from 1cm to 3cm cube by a ratio of 6 to a ratio of 2, showing that average rate of diffusion which decreases as the size of the agar increases has a linkage to cells as cells increase in sizes.

The purpose of these experiments is to examine the driving force behind the movement of substances across a selective or semiperpeable plasma membrane. Experiment simulations examine substances that move passively through a semipermeable membrane, and those that require active transport. Those that move passively through the membrane will do so in these simulations by facilitated diffusion and filtration. The plasma membrane’s structure is composed in such a way that it can discriminate as to which substances can pass into the cell. This enables nutrients to enter the cell, while keeping unwanted substances out. Active

Research Question: How does the size of the cell affect its efficiency in exchanging substances through several ways, like diffusion?

All organisms need to exchange particles such as food, waste, gas and heat with their surroundings. there are two different types of ways in which substances can enter or/and leave a cell. these ways are called Passive and Active. with in these there are different processes for example, in passive process there are diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis and in the active process there is molecule and particle. in this assignment I am going to discuss all of these processes starting with diffusion.

1. Understand the importance of diffusion to cellular metabolism and the how it constraints the evolution of cell/body size and shape

A major determinant of diffusion in a biological system is membrane permeability. Small, uncharged molecules pass through cellular membranes easily, while most and/or charged molecules cannot pass through the membrane. The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane, like the plasma membrane

1. In passive transport, what determines the direction of movement of small particles? The direction of movement of particles in passive transport is determined by the concentration gradient (diffusion) between the cytoplasm and the extracellular fluid. 2. Why do the molecules in facilitated diffusion need help moving across the plasma membrane? Likely, the molecules are too large to pass unaided through the plasma membrane with the concentration gradient; they need to pass through special transport proteins.

The plasma membrane, as well as lipids, includes several proteins; the proteins that are within the membrane are found buried or embedded into the lipid bilayer. These proteins include enzymes, receptors and antigens. There are four methods of transportation both in and out of a cell; diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. Fick's law is used to measure the rate of diffusion: [IMAGE] Diffusion is the movement of atoms, molecules or ions from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration (down the concentration gradient²). The energy for this to occur comes directly from the particle itself; this is defined as passive (not requiring energy).

▪ Surface area to volume ratios and the ability of cells to get nutrients in and waste products out of the cell

The objective of this experiment is to develop an understanding of the molecular basis of diffusion and osmosis and its physiological importance. Students will analyze how solute size and concentration affect diffusion across semi-permeable membranes and how these processes affect water potential. Students will also calculate water potential of plant cells.

A cell needs to perform diffusion in order to survive. Substances, including water, ions, and molecules that are required for cellular activities, can enter and leave cells by a passive process such as diffusion. Diffusion is random movement of molecules in a net direction from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration order to reach equilibrium. Diffusion does not require any energy input. Diffusion is needed for basic cell functions - for example, in humans, cells obtain oxygen via diffusion from the alveoli of the lungs into the blood and in plants water

In our lab, we were hoping to determine how cell size impacted the rate of diffusion. The results of the lab, showed that the smallest cube (1cm) diffused the most because the area of diffusion took up a majority of the surface area. This relates to cell size and rate of diffusion, because the agar cubes were supposed to be the cell and the amount of pink that diffused into the cube was supposed to show the rate of diffusion, and how smaller cells were able to diffuse faster and more easily than larger cells. This explains why smaller cells are more efficient in our bodies.

Cells are always in motion, energy of motion known as kinetic energy. This kinetic energy causes the membranes in motion to bump into each other, causing the membranes to move in another direction – a direction from a higher concentration of the solution to a lower one. Membranes moving around leads to diffusion and osmosis. Diffusion is the random movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, until they are equally distributed (Mader & Windelspecht, 2012, p. 50). Cells have a plasma membrane that separates the internal cell from the exterior environment. The plasma membrane is selectively permeable which allows certain solvents to pass through

All cells contain membranes that are selectively permeable, allowing certain things to pass into and leave out of the cell. The process in which molecules of a substance move from an area of high concentration to areas of low concentration is called Diffusion. Whereas Osmosis is the process in which water crosses membranes from regions of high water concentration to areas with low water concentration. While molecules in diffusion move down a concentration gradient, molecules during osmosis both move down a concentration gradient as well as across it. Both diffusion, and osmosis are types of passive transport, which do not require help.