Home › AP Biology › Biology › Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes › A large spherical cell is at risk because:
A large spherical cell is at risk because:
AIts centre cannot be reached by diffusion
BIts surface proteins denature at the poles
CIts membrane cannot hold any cholesterol
DIts cytoplasm loses all dissolved protein
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Its centre cannot be reached by diffusion
1. Cells rely primarily on diffusion to move materials within the cytoplasm.
2. Diffusion is slow over long distances.
3. A large spherical cell will die because nutrients or waste cannot reach or leave the centre of the cell.
4. That is why cells must either be small, as in many prokaryotes, or flattened, as in many single-celled eukaryotes.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 'Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes', sections 5.1-5.4_
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