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GCSE Biology · key term
A disc shape that curves inwards on both faces, giving a large surface area compared with its volume.
Used by OCR
Specification B2.2e · Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher)
Revise: Red blood cells and plasmaIts biconcave shape gives it a large surface area to volume ratio. This provides a large membrane area across which oxygen can diffuse.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Shaped like a disc with a dip on both sides.
A biconcave shape gives a large surface area to volume ratio; do not confuse this with simply saying that the whole cell is large.
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A red blood cell is a biconcave disc—it curves inwards on both sides. This gives it a large surface area compared with its volume, so oxygen can diffuse across its surface quickly. The cell is also thin, giving oxygen a short distance to diffuse to reach the haemoglobin inside.