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... the constraints that limit the cell to its small physical size? What types of problems would a cell that diverges from these constraints encounter? Finally, how do those cells that are very large, compared to the majority of cells, adapt to their larger size? These are the questions that will be explored. Cells are small. The cell is the smallest unit of life; it is a functional and structural unit, enclosed by a membrane, that can metabolize and self-replicate (Tortora). It is the metabolic requirements of the cell that, ultimately, impose the greatest constraints on the size of the cell. Geometry teaches us that as a particular shape increases in size, the volume of that shape grows proportionately more than its surface area (Campbell). This concept can be further elucidated with some basic geometric equations: 1. Area = (linear measurement)2, 2. Volume = (linear measurement)3. Thus, if the size of an ...