Surface Area

Definition

Surface area refers to the total area that the surface of an object occupies. In biology, it's crucial because it affects absorption and release rates for substances entering or leaving cells.

Related terms

Plasma Membrane:

This is like your skin but for cells; it controls what enters or leaves the cell based on its surface area.

Diffusion Rate: This is how fast substances move across surfaces such as membranes – think about sweat evaporating off your skin faster when you're spread out versus curled up!

Absorption: This is the process of taking substances into a cell, much like your skin absorbing lotion.