500
Explain why the cells in an embryo grow no larger than a certain size before they divide.
As a cell grows, it produces more waste and requires more nutrients. These materials must be able to pass through the cell membrane. As a cell grows, its surface-to-volume ratio decreases. This causes the cell's exchange of materials to become less efficient, which may leave to cell death. For this reason, an embryo divides into many small cells instead of a few very large cells.