Question

The small size of cells is best correlated with a. the fact that they are self-reproducing. b. an adequate surface area for exchange of materials. c. their vast versatility. d. All of these are correct.

Short answer

b. An adequate surface area for exchange of materials.

Step-by-step solution

Analyzing each option

: Option a: Cells being self-reproducing is an interesting fact, but it does not explain why cells are small. Option b: A small cell size provides a larger surface-to-volume ratio, which allows for efficient exchange of materials like nutrients, oxygen, and waste products. This option correlates well with the small size of cells. Option c: Although cell versatility is important, it does not explain why cells are small in size. Option d: This option would require all three other options to be valid correlations, but we have eliminated options a and c as explanations for the small size of cells.

Choosing the best correlated option

: From our analysis, it becomes clear that option b, "an adequate surface area for exchange of materials," is the best correlated with the small size of cells. Therefore, the answer to the exercise is: b. An adequate surface area for exchange of materials.