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Name: Class: Date:
Analysis and Conclusion Questions:
1. Cells are very, very small. There must be a physiological or physical reason for their size. What controls how big a cell can be?
2. As a cell gets larger, do both its volume and surface area increase by the same amount? Why or why not?
3. Based on your observations, where would a greater rate of diffusion occur—within a cell with a surface area to volume ratio of
6:1 or in a cell with a surface area to volume ratio of 3:1? Explain.
4. What does the area of the cells NOT affected by diffusion (the areas that remained pink) represent in living cells?
5. Can cell shape influence the rate of diffusion of nutrients and wastes? How will a thin, flat cell (shaped like a pancake)
compare to a cube-shaped cell in terms of diffusion rate? Why?
6. If you used the same sized cell modeling blocks, do you think diffusion would occur faster at 32°F, 65°F, or 100°F? Explain.
7. Why do large, multicellular organisms need a circulatory system if all of their individual cells are small?
Test Your Understanding: Diffusion Cell Size Lab (student handout)
