Diffusion In Agar Cube’s Lab

  1. In terms of maximizing diffusion, what was the most effective size cube that you tested? 
    1. The most effective cube that we tested was the smallest one, it had a high SA:V ratio of 1.5 and a percent diffusion of 76%.
  2. Why was that size most effective at maximizing diffusion? What are the important factors that affect how materials diffuse into cells or tissues?
    1. Because it was much smaller than the other cubes, the NaOH was able to diffuse into the agar cube much faster than the other cubes. This is because the smallest cube has a high Surface area to Volume ratio.
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  3. If a large surface area is helpful to cells, why do cells not grow to be very large? 
    1. When a cell is very large it has a small surface area to volume ratio, making it harder for the cell to diffuse and allow materials in and out of the cell.
  4. You have three cubes, A, B, and C. They have surface to volume ratios of 3:1, 5:2, and 4:1 respectively. Which of these cubes is going to be the most effective at maximizing diffusion, how do you know this? 
    1. The cube that will be the most effective is cube C with the surface to volume ratio of 5:2. The reason for this is the surface area is much larger than the volume, maximizing diffusion.
  5. How does your body adapt surface area-to-volume ratios to help exchange gases? 
    1. Our bodies cells must be in such a way that the cell membrane has enough surface area to serve the organelles and the volume of the cell. Which includes the exchange of gases in and out of the cell in a timely fashion.
  6. Why can’t certain cells, like bacteria, get to be the size of a small fish? 
    1. Once a cell gets too big, it must divide in order to keep a high surface area to volume ratio. The result of this is small cells, not allowing the cells to grow to the size of a small fish.
  7. What are the advantages of large organisms being multicellular? 
    1. Multicellular organisms, which are plant and animal cells, may have a large SA:V ratio, however they have special features that include gas exchange, our lungs, and circulatory system, our blood. These two features speed up and help the movement of beneficial materials into and out the organism.

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