hello

my teacher today during our Biology lesson said :

Diffusion occurs more easily in smaller organisms because they have a bigger surface area than theie volume from inside

But us humans , we have more problems id diffusing because we have a smalller surface area

I did not understand a word

can anyone give me an example and define it very well

it is about diffusion of things in organisms and ir is related to the surface area & volume

thnx

http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/bealsmodules/area_volume.html

As the size of an organism with a length scale L increases, the area available for diffusion increases in proportion to L^2, and the volume increases in proportion to L^3. The surface-to-volume area therefore decreases in proportion to 1/L.

Smaller organisms therefore have less problem supporting the diffusion processes (such as temperature control, waste disposal and the transport of oxygen and nutrients) necessary to support their total body volume.

You should know that

Of course! I can explain the concept of diffusion and how surface area and volume affect it.

Diffusion is the process by which molecules or particles move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. It occurs naturally in living organisms and is important for various biological processes such as the exchange of gases (like oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the lungs and the movement of nutrients in cells.

Now, let's consider the relationship between surface area, volume, and diffusion. In general, smaller organisms have a larger surface area-to-volume ratio compared to larger organisms. This means that they have a relatively larger surface area compared to their overall volume.

To understand why this matters for diffusion, let's use an example. Imagine you have two cubes, one smaller and one larger. The smaller cube has sides that measure 1 cm each, while the larger cube has sides that measure 5 cm each. The surface area of the smaller cube is 6 cm² (calculated by multiplying the side length by itself and then multiplying by 6), while the surface area of the larger cube is 150 cm².

Now, let's consider the volume of the cubes. The volume of a cube is calculated by multiplying the side length by itself twice. The volume of the smaller cube is 1 cm³ (calculated as 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm), while the volume of the larger cube is 125 cm³ (calculated as 5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm).

If we compare the surface area-to-volume ratios of the two cubes, we can see that the smaller cube has a ratio of 6:1 (surface area to volume), while the larger cube has a ratio of 150:125 (surface area to volume).

Now, let's relate this to diffusion. Smaller organisms with larger surface area-to-volume ratios have more surface area available for molecules to diffuse across. This means that there is a relatively larger area for molecules to move in and out of the cells, facilitating the diffusion process.

On the other hand, larger organisms like humans have a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio, which means there is relatively less surface area available for diffusion compared to their overall volume. This can make diffusion less efficient, as it requires molecules to travel longer distances to reach the cells within the body.

So, in summary, the statement your teacher made is that diffusion occurs more easily in smaller organisms because they have a larger surface area compared to their volume. This larger surface area allows for more efficient diffusion of molecules. In contrast, larger organisms like humans have a lower surface area-to-volume ratio, which can present challenges for diffusion.