HOW BIG
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Microcosm

Size of Escherichia coli: a bacterium a few micrometres long

The adopted reference is about 2 µm.

Representative length

2 µm = 0.002 mm. A micron (µm) is a millimeter divided by 1,000.

A rod-shaped bacterium whose size depends on its growth conditions.

Explore at this scale
Escherichia coli, interpreted illustration
Interpreted illustration · dimension stated in the fact sheet.

What does this number measure?

A rod-shaped bacterium whose size depends on its growth conditions. Displayed dimension: representative length.

A bacterium’s length varies with its strain and growing conditions. The two-micrometre reference is used here to compare orders of magnitude.

Compare the stated dimensions

The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.

Source and limitations

Catalogue value to check against the source; not individually audited.

Escherichia coli: morphological model of a rod-shaped bacterium with pili and flagella. The representative length concerns the cell body, excluding filaments; textures and colours are interpreted.