Interpreting a Model
Name: ________________
1. What is the name of the boundary of each cell shown?
Cell membrane
2. Study the two cells shown. Which cell has a larger surface area (cell membrane surface)?
Large
3. How do nutrient materials and waste materials move through the cell membrane?
Diffusion
4. Which cell needs more channels in its cell membrane to transport molecules in and out of the cell?
Large
5. Which cell has a larger volume (volume is the space it takes up)?
Large
6. Think of an everyday word that means volume.
Size
7. Think about a glucose molecule entering the cell membrane through the channel. Would the
glucose molecule be able to reach the mitochondria faster if the cell has a small volume or larger
volume? What makes your answer important to the cell?
Small volume; for good health, the cell needs to move the nutrient and waste molecules only a
short distance
8. As the glucose is converted to energy, carbon dioxide waste is produced. Which cell allows the
carbon dioxide to leave faster? What makes your answer important to the cell in terms of volume?
Small; those cells with a small volume have a short distance from the cell membrane to structures
in the cell, such as the mitochondria
9. Considering your answers to the previous questions, a healthy cell needs a cell membrane with
(many or few) channels but a (large or small) volume.
Many channels; small volume
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