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As a cell grows, its volume outpaces the surface area it needs for supplies. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Cell size is limited by diffusion

As a cell grows, its volume outpaces the surface area it needs for supplies Nutrients and waste cross the membrane, so the rate of exchange depends on surface area. Volume, which sets demand, grows as the cube of the radius while surface area grows only as the square. This keeps most animal and plant cells between about one and a hundred micrometres across. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Tags: biology, cells, diffusion

Cell size is limited by diffusion: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: As a cell grows, its volume outpaces the surface area it needs for supplies. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.