Answer
If an organism grows bigger and bigger in size it will have difficulty in exchanging material due to less space indie cell. For this reason, single cells or simply cells are small or microscopic. Hence we can say in reality possibility of a single celled organism being huge is negligible as it will not support the exchange of materials and its life processes.
Work Step by Step
Step 1 of 4
The movie ‘Blob’ referred in the problem features a single celled organism, like an amoeba that crashes from outer space and grow enormously. This creature seems to eats and dissolves humans after engulfing them. Although film represents it as unidentified creature never ending creature but in reality it is not possible for a single celled organism to grow such big.
Step 2 of 4
We can answer this by considering concept of surface area and diffusion. We know that single celled organism or many organisms use their body surface area to obtain nutrition, exchange gases and release waste from the body. They do so by simple diffusion where materials are exchanged between organisms and surrounding depending upon the concentration difference.
Step 3 of 4
The rates at which things are exchanges depend upon the surface area to volume ratio of the organism. The area of organism that is in contact with the surrounding is termed as surface area and amount of materials required by an organism depends upon its volume. As an organism grow in size both the parameters increases. When an organism grows its surface area and volume both increases but volume increases at much high rate. This leads to fall in surface area to volume ratio which in actual terms does not support cell life. A larger surface area to volume is more favorable to growing cell.
Step 4 of 4 Thus, is an organism grows bigger and bigger in size it will have difficulty in exchanging material due to less space indie cell. For this reason, single cells or simply cells are small or microscopic. Hence we can say in reality possibility of a single celled organism being huge is negligible as it will not support the exchange of materials and its life processes.
