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Agar Cube Lab

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  1. The most effective size cube for maximizing diffusion was the 1cm³ cube
  2. It was most effective at maximizing diffusion because since the cube was so small the surface area to volume ratio was the smallest of the three, so then the hydroxide was able to penetrate all the surfaces and go deeper into the cube quicker than the others. Important factors that effect how materials diffuse are the permeability of the cells membrane, the mobility of the material, the concentration of the material, and the temperature.
  3. Cells don’t grow to be very large in size because although a large surface area is best, the larger the cell the more volume it has so then with the more volume it has the longer it would take to be able to diffuse fully.
  4. Cube C with the surface to volume ratio 4:1 would be more effective at maximizing diffusion because since it has more surface area than volume, particles can travel into the centre of the cell much easier.
  5. Our body contains small cells which adapt surface area to volume ratios in order to exchange gases easily. By having a moderately large surface area compared to the volume, the gas is able to diffuse throughout the entire cell very easily. If the cells were to grow in size, the surface area to volume ratio would decrease meaning that the rate of gas exchange would decrease also.
  6. Bacteria is unable to grow into the size of a small fish because if a cell were to grow too big, the surface area to volume ratio would decrease meaning that diffusion percent would decrease also and gas exchange would be hard to carry out. Eventually, the bacteria would not be able to sustain itself anymore and would die.
  7. The advantages of a large organism being multicellular is that the organism can grow larger while the cells stay small so then the cells are able to obtain the materials they need to survive more easily. It also allows for having different types of cells for different functions. Being multicellular is also an advantage because if some of your cells die, they can be replenished with little to no harm done to you (usually) instead of you shutting down and dying like bacteria would.