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: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but are not the same age. Cell X was created two weeks ago, and cell Z was created one month ago. Therefore, cell Z has had two extra weeks of growth compared to cell X.

Question: Which cell has a larger volume?
Answer: cell Z

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but are not the same age. Cell X was created two weeks ago, and cell Z was created one month ago. Therefore, cell Z has had two extra weeks of growth compared to cell X.

Question: Which cell has a smaller volume?
Answer: Cell X

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Which cell has more nuclei?
Answer: cell X

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Which cell has fewer nuclei?
Answer: cell Z

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Which cell will have more folds throughout the membrane?
Answer: cell X

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Which cell will have fewer folds throughout the membrane?
Answer: cell Z

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Will cell Z have a larger or smaller surface area to transport materials?
Answer: smaller

Situation: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.

Question: Will cell X have a larger or smaller surface area to transport materials?
Answer: larger

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Which cell has more volume?
Answer: Cell A

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Which cell has less volume?
Answer: cell B

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Does Cell A have more or less nuclei than Cell B?
Answer: more

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Does Cell B have more or less nuclei than Cell A?
Answer: less

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Which cell has more protrusions?
Answer: Cell A

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Which cell has less protrusions?
Answer: cell B

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Does Cell A or Cell B have more folds across the membrane?
Answer: Cell A

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Does Cell A or Cell B have less folds across the membrane?
Answer: Cell B

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Will Cell B have an easier or harder time transporting materials than cell A?
Answer: harder

Situation: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.

Question: Will Cell A have an easier or harder time transporting materials than cell B?
Answer: easier