'Surface area: volume ratios of living organisms and their effects on exchanges with the environment'.

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Biology-

‘Surface area: volume ratios of living organisms and their effects on exchanges with the environment’.

         All living organisms have to exchange materials through their exchange surfaces with its environment. This is because organisms require the exchange of respiratory gases, carbon dioxide and oxygen, and also the intake of food as well as the disposal of waste. The amount of materials an organism needs depends on its volume. However the exchange rate of materials relies on the surface area: volume ratio of the organism. As an organism grows larger its surface area: volume ratio decreases. The exchange rate of materials occurs fastest when the surface area: volume ratio is larger. Therefore, for larger organisms losing heat and the exchanging materials may be slightly more difficult due to their smaller surface area: volume ratio.

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         This table shows the surface area and volume of cubes increasing in size to prove that the SA/V ratio decreases as the cube or any object becomes larger.

        During the course of evolution organisms have changed from single celled to multicellular organisms. Single celled, microscopic organisms have a large surface area: volume ratio, therefore they are able to efficiently exchange and remove materials. However, as these organisms grow larger they eventually become multicellular, which means they need to somehow increase their surface area for the needed amount of materials to be exchanged. Multicellular organisms such as sea anemones ...

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