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Journal 5

How Cells Are Organized

To solve the problem below, you must write a clear and convincing justification for accepting one of the possible answer choices as the best or most appropriate and for rejecting each of the other choices as less appropriate. Your reasons for rejecting choices are just as important as your reasons for choosing the best answer.

In spite of factors that tend to restrict cell size, some plant cells are very large. For example, some marine algae have cells almost as large as a chicken egg. Which of the following characteristics would favor the growth of large cells?

1	A thin layer of cytoplasm inside the cell wall, with the rest of the interior filled by a central vacuole.

2	A thick cellulose cell wall that is spherical in shape.

3	A single, large nucleus located near the center of the cell.

4	Growing as a unicellular organism attached to the ocean floor is close association with other bottom-dwelling organisms.

5	Growing as part of a relatively large, unicellular plant attached to the ocean floor.