Surface area to volume ratio
Why?
Small cells have more surface for their size, so substances can get in and out fast enough; big cells would starve in the middle.
A cube cell 1 unit wide has 6 square units of surface per 1 unit of volume, but a cube 4 units wide has only 1.5 per unit, and its centre turns dark from lack of oxygen.
Press the button to compare the surface and inside of a small and a big cell.
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An elephant and a mouse both have tiny cells; the elephant just has many more of them.
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