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Most cells are very small. What physical and metabolic constraints limit cell size? What problems would an enormous cell encounter? What adaptations might help a very large cell survive?
- Words:
- 925
- Submitted:
- Tue Jun 20 2006

... Assignment 2: Most cells are very small. What physical and metabolic constraints limit cell size? What problems would an enormous cell encounter? What adaptations might help a very large cell survive? The cell is an amazing structure. A single cell, alone, can function as a single entity: independently acquiring the nutrients it needs to survive, adapting to its environment, and eliminating the wastes it accumulates. Other cells, however, would rather be a part of a community of cells, like a tissue or higher organism. These cells often become specialized; they may specialize in motility, or they may be better suited for absorption and secretion. Whether these cells are suited for autonomous living, or become specialized for a specific function, the size of the cell is a general feature that relates to its function. Some cells, like bacteria, can be as small as a few microns. Other cells, like neurons,














