Neutrophil (White blood cell)
10.5 µm
Diameter on a stained blood smear
The most common white blood cell, with its lobed nucleus. 9 to 12 µm across on a blood smear.
Published
How big is that?
10.5 µm is 1.4 times a red blood cell and 15% of the width of a human hair.
Neutrophil is the 6th smallest of the 32 Tiny Worlds objects, and the 6th smallest of the 172 objects across all five SizeItUp games.
Size comparison
To scale, smallest to largest: Neutrophil in orange beside the Tiny Worlds objects nearest in size, in teal.
| Object | Size | vs Neutrophil |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast cell (Baker's yeast)A single cell of the yeast that raises bread and brews beer. | 6 µm long | 57% of the size |
| Red blood cellA human red blood cell: a disc dimpled in the middle. | 7.7 µm across | 73% of the size |
| Neutrophil (White blood cell) | 10.5 µm across | – |
| Giardia (Trophozoite)The single-celled gut parasite whose two nuclei look like eyes. | 15 µm long | 1.4× bigger |
| Pollen grain (Opium poppy)A single grain of poppy pollen, with its three furrows. | 30.2 µm across | 2.9× bigger |
In other units
| Micrometres | 10.5 |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 0.0105 |
| Metres | 0.000011 |
How it's measured
Diameter on a stained blood smear. Midpoint of 9 to 12 µm (University of Alabama at Birmingham pathology); cells floating free measure about 9 µm.
The source gives a range, so this is the middle of it.
Sources
- peir.path.uab.edu: UAB PEIR histology, chapter 7: they average 9 - 12 μm in diameter.
Checked against the source on .
Could you have guessed it by eye?
Neutrophil 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.