Question

The size of a cell is limited by surface area and volume constraints. Yet chicken and ostrich eggs are much larger than the typical 100 micrometer limit. How?

Answer 1

"Bird eggs and frog eggs are much larger than typical cells, but they have a store house of food and also rapidly divide to give rise to multicelled embryos. In fact this multicellular embryo is a good illustration of another way cells get around the surface area to volume problem: they divide." From: http://staff.jccc.net/pdecell/cells/cellsize.html

That was a good question, I hadn't thought of it before :)

Answer 2

Thanks a ton! I was under the impression that they were unicellular, but I guess I misunderstood my professor.

Answer 3

Well I suppose they are unicellular, just not for very long :P