Cell size:surface

area to volume
ratio.
All Cells need to produce chemical
energy (via metabolism) to survive
and this requires the exchange of
materials with the environment
The rate of metabolism of a cell is a function of its mass /
volume (larger cells need more energy to sustain
essential functions)

The rate of material exchange is a function of its surface

area (large membrane surface equates to more material
movement)

As a cell grows, volume (units3) increases faster than

surface area (units2), leading to a decreased SA:Vol ratio

If metabolic rate exceeds the rate of exchange of vital

materials and wastes (low SA:Vol ratio), the cell will
eventually die

Hence growing cells tend to divide and remain small in

order to maintain a high SA:Vol ratio suitable for survival
The size of cells can vary significantly in multicellular organisms in order to optimise the
specific function of a cell
•Red blood cells need to squeeze through narrow capillaries
and have a diameter of only 7–8 µm
•Neurones need to transmit signals throughout the body and
can be over 1m in length (but with a width of only ~10 µm)
•Striated muscle fibres consist of fused muscle cells – they can
have a width of 20–100 µm and a length of up to 12 cm
•When there is a larger SA:V, it is easier for nutrients to pass
into the cell and for excretory products to exit the cell.Cells
that are too small would not be able to contain the cellular
components. Cells that are too large can contain more
organelles, but the SA:V may be too small and the movement
of nutrients into and out of the cell
 A human ovum (female
egg) is one of the largest
cells with a diameter of A micrometre (µm) is
0.001 mm
120 µm, while the male equivalent to:
sperm is extremely small
(~5 µm)

0.000001 m 0.0001 cm