Sizes of Organisms: The Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Author(s): Lou Gross1, Monica Beals1, Susan Harrell1
University of Tennessee Knoxville
1393 total view(s), 329 download(s)
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