Does cell size affect cell functions?

Yes, cell size affects cell function in multiple ways such as metabolism, biosynthetic capacity, and nutrient absorption. Because of this, cells must usually retain a specific size range, unique to their population through mechanisms which regulate their size. For example, single-celled organisms must reproduce in different environmental conditions which influence and select for specific cell sizes. In larger single-celled organisms, the ratio of surface area to volume is important and small cell sizes are ideal to allow for more efficient nutrient uptake. In certain multicellular organisms, cell size can impact the overall size of an organ and the entire organism itself. In this species, the number of cells is fixed, and changes in their size lead to proportional alterations in the size of organs and organism size. As other examples, neurons are long and branched in shape, since they function to transmit signals throughout the body. Muscle cells in contrast are small and spindle-shaped, which assists in movement. Endopolyploidy, which is observed in various organisms such as plants, mammals, and arthropods allows for the significant enlargement of cell size without affecting the cells ability to perform metabolic processes; there is no decline in biosynthetic capacity.