What does this number measure?
In 2022, Volland and colleagues reported a mean length of 9.72 ± 4.25 mm for the budding filaments studied. This reference uses that population mean, not the size of every bacterium or a current record. One main filament represents one cell; its width and internal detail are interpreted. Daughter cells and any supporting leaf are excluded from the compared length.
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
The ±4.25 mm describes variation in the published sample, not the measurement precision of the drawing. Individual lengths vary greatly; an example from 2022, without claiming a current record.
An interpreted filamentous cell, with its horizontal reference length calibrated to the published mean. Width and curvature are illustrative; this is neither a chain of cells nor a micrograph.