Background: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cells would have more folds on its membrane, class A or class B?
Answer: class A

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cells would have less folds on its membrane, class A or class B?
Answer: class B

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Would class A cells have more or less folds on its membrane than class B cells?
Answer: more

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Would class B cells have more or less folds on its membrane than class A cells?
Answer: less

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cell might have more number of nuclei, class A or class B?
Answer: class A

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cell might have less number nuclei, class A or class B?
Answer: class B

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Would class A cells have more or less nuclei than class B cells?
Answer: more

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Would class B cells have more or less nuclei than class A cells?
Answer: less

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cell might have microvilli as a feature, class A or class B?
Answer: class A

Situation: Mike is studying for his biology exam. He found that all body cells are not equal in size - some are large and some are small. He labeled the large cells as class A cells. Then he labeled the small cells as class B cells. He is now prepared to find the differences between them.

Question: Which cell might not have microvilli as a feature, class A or class B?
Answer: class B