Cells, Membranes and Cellular Reproduction A Tour of the Cell ? Cell Structure & Function ? Chapter 4 ? Compared to the images generated by the Hubble telescope or the planetary probes like Voyager, telescope images are limited. ? Same with looking at cells under a light microscope, view is limited. ?Which of the following cell parts are visible under a light microscope? ? Cell membrane - yes. ? Large macromolecules - no. ? Microtubules - no. ? Mitochondria - maybe just barely. ? Many bacteria - yes ? The microscopic size of most cells ensures a sufficient surface area across which nutrients and wastes can move to service the cell volume ? A small cell has a greater ratio of surface area to volume than a large cell of the same shape 30 ?m 10 ?m