Cells have relatively small and uniform size. why aren't they larger?

Question

Cells have relatively small and uniform size. why aren't they larger?

Answer 1

I think it's related to my question about what tells a cell to divide. I know this is not a good answer but it's all I can think out at this time.

Answer 2

i know,, well i dont know why but i wanna see blood cells theyre cool!!!

Answer 3

The larger they are the harder it will become to regulate the traffic of intracellular material.  

Answer 4

The surface area to volume ratio would become too small. I have a difficult time explaining it but this site will really help you understand it. Basically the cell will become to big too handle the incoming nutrients and outcoming wastes because the volume will increase at a faster rate than the surface area (which corresponds to the cell membrane).

http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/cells/cell...

Answer 5

Well depending on what type of cell and what type of organism, cells can have vastly different sizes and shapes. Take for example in humans. The sperm cell is tiny. The egg (ova) is very large in comparison. Cells can have differing topical features, like flagella in the case of the sperm or not; you do not see your epidermal cells "swimming about very often."

But I think possibly what answer you are looking for is the surface area to volume ratio, which deals with diffusion and osmosis and all of that good stuff. Cells have a limited ability for diffusion through their cell membrane. Cells are limited in size in much regard due to limited resources. It would be extremely difficult for a cell that was 1 m wide to have materials diffuse to its center. Cells (likely the ones you are thinking of) are not made to be large (generally of course: there are always weird exceptions such as in plant reproduction), but are made to be fairly efficient. Also, if a cell was spherical it would have a much harder time or have to expend much more energy and resources to transport materials into its interior than if the cell was more streched out (having a greater surface area to volume ratio.) When they have a large surface area with respect to their volume they can transport materials inside and out of themselves better.

Larger cells would be unstable because they would have to contend with a much larger external (such as fluidic) forces than would a small cell.

Also their is (I am pretty sure) genetic controls on the growth (and division) of cells. When these controls are removed such as when a person has cancer, cells become unstable and their physical nature is changed.

Is that what you were looking for?

Answer 6

some cells can be up to a foot or two, check out slime mold. it's creepy

Answer 7

to be more compact so u can carry them easier there getting a little to small i undr stand but that what people do is try to make things more compact small and better if u wanted larger one look for some old ones from the late 90's there bigger more like a brick but still bigger  

Answer 8

Imagine having large cells!

How huge would you be? Also, the energy that would be needed to keep them alive would be a lllllloooooootttttttt.