3.2.1

Single-Celled Organisms

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Single-Celled Organisms

Single-celled organisms exchange directly with their external environment.

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Need for exchange

  • Single-celled organisms need to obtain substances from their environment to be used in processes inside the cell (e.g. oxygen for respiration).
  • Waste substances also need to be removed from the cell (e.g. carbon dioxide) to avoid harming the cell.
  • Substances are exchanged by all organisms for this reason.
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Body surface exchange

  • Single-celled organisms can exchange gases and other substances using their cell membrane.
  • The rate of gas exchange is increased by a larger surface area to volume ratio.
    • Single-celled organisms can be adapted to increase their surface area to volume ratio (e.g. by making themselves wide, flat or with multiple folds).
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Diffusion rate

  • Diffusion rate is rapid for single-celled organisms because the substances only have to move across one cell-surface membrane.

Jump to other topics

1Biological Molecules

2Cells

3Substance Exchange

4Genetic Information & Variation

5Energy Transfers (A2 only)

6Responding to Change (A2 only)

7Genetics & Ecosystems (A2 only)

8The Control of Gene Expression (A2 only)

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