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jmstuart's picture

cell size relative to organism size

Submitted by jmstuart on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 2:09pm.

Our research today was concerning the size of cells, and whether the overall size of the organism will indicate anything about the size of the cell. We looked at several different cell samples, including a buttercup stem, the cross-section of an earthworm, and the intestines of a pig. Our hypothesis was that the size of cells relates more to the function of the cell itself than to the overall size of the organism, especially in more complex plants or animals. We gathered the following observations:

Buttercup cells=60 micrometers

Earthworm=60 micrometers (lengthwise)

Unidentified small plant=65 micrometers (lengthwise)

Pig intestine=25 micrometers

Algea=15 micrometers

 

Our general conclusion is that there is no direct correlation between cell size and organism size, and that larger plants and animals are just more complex and composed of a greater number of cells rather than simply larger cells.

 

-Herman Marcia and Julia Stuart

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