Cell scale and specialisation

Specialised cells have structures suited to their roles. A root hair cell’s long extension increases absorption surface area. A nerve cell can have a long extension for carrying signals across distance. Red blood cell shape supports oxygen transport and passage through small vessels. A specialised cell is not an entire organ.

magnification.Checkwhetherthequestionasksformagnification,imagesizeoractualsizebeforecalculating.actualsize.Convertbothlengthstomatchingunitsfirst:1mm=1000µm.Magnificationisaratio,writtenwith×ratherthanalengthunit.Actualsize=imagesize​Magnification=imagesize​

Watch out: Convert both sizes to the same unit first; otherwise the result is wrong by the conversion factor.