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True or false? It is more difficult to exchange materials effectively in large, complex organisms than in small, simple organisms.

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True or false? It is more difficult to exchange materials effectively in
large, complex organisms than in small, simple organisms.

True or false? It is more difficult to exchange materials effectively in large, complex organisms than in small, simple organisms.

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GwenllianMaster · Tutor for 5 years

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True

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## Step 1:<br />First, we need to understand the concept of material exchange in organisms. Material exchange refers to the process by which organisms take in nutrients, oxygen, and other necessary substances from their environment and expel waste products. <br /><br />## Step 2:<br />The efficiency of this process is largely determined by the surface area to volume ratio of the organism. The larger the surface area compared to the volume, the more efficiently materials can be exchanged.<br /><br />## Step 3:<br />Small, simple organisms, such as single-celled organisms, have a large surface area to volume ratio. This means they can exchange materials with their environment very efficiently.<br /><br />## Step 4:<br />In contrast, large, complex organisms, such as humans, have a much smaller surface area to volume ratio. This makes material exchange more difficult because there is less surface area for the exchange to take place.<br /><br />## Step 5:<br />To compensate for this, large organisms have developed specialized systems, such as the circulatory and respiratory systems, to facilitate material exchange. However, these systems add complexity and require energy to function, which could be interpreted as making the process more "difficult".<br /><br />## Step 6:<br />Therefore, the statement is true. It is more difficult to exchange materials effectively in large, complex organisms than in small, simple organisms.
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