Sizes of Organisms: The Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Author(s): Lou Gross1, Monica Beals1, Susan Harrell1
University of Tennessee Knoxville
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Description
This activity maps to the OpenStax biology textbook, 30.6 Plant Sensory Systems and Responses
Student Introduction: Two- and three-dimensional parameters of organisms (i.e., surface area and volume) do not necessarily increase or decrease proportionally to increases or decreases in one-dimensional, or linear, parameters (i.e., length). For example, the greater the diameter of a single-celled organism, the less surface area it has relative to its volume. The surface area to volume ratio is a way of expressing the relationship between these parameters as an organism's size changes.
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
- Gross, L., Beals, M., Harrell, S. (2019). Sizes of Organisms: The Surface Area to Volume Ratio. Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges, QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/Q44J03