E. coli bacterium
2 µm
Rod length
Escherichia coli, the rod-shaped bacterium in every gut and lab. About 2 µm long and 1 µm wide.
Published
How big is that?
2 µm is 26% of a red blood cell.
E. coli bacterium is the smallest of the 32 Tiny Worlds objects, and the smallest of the 172 objects across all five SizeItUp games.
Size comparison
To scale, smallest to largest: E. coli bacterium in orange beside the Tiny Worlds objects nearest in size, in teal.
| Object | Size | vs E. coli bacterium |
|---|---|---|
| E. coli bacterium | 2 µm long | – |
| PlateletA tiny cell fragment that plugs cuts and starts blood clotting. | 3 µm across | 1.5× bigger |
| Cryptosporidium (Oocyst)The tough egg-like stage of a waterborne parasite, with four sporozoites inside. | 4.8 µm across | 2.4× bigger |
In other units
| Micrometres | 2 |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 0.002 |
| Metres | 0.000002 |
How it's measured
Rod length. Marshall et al. 2012, BMC Biology.
Sources
- doi.org: BMC Biology 10:101: about 1 μm in diameter and 2 μm long.
- book.bionumbers.org (supporting): Cell Biology by the Numbers: a length of about 2 µm.
Checked against the source on .
Could you have guessed it by eye?
E. coli bacterium is one of the objects in Tiny Worlds, a daily size comparison game: you stretch a shape to the size you think is right beside one you know.