Imagine laying Mycoplasma cells, each 0.3 µm long, end to end across a red blood cell 7.0 µm wide…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Imagine laying Mycoplasma cells, each long, end to end across a red blood cell wide.
- How many whole Mycoplasma cells fit across?
- A bacterium is long. About how many whole Mycoplasma cells match its length?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; prokaryotic cells have neither. Every cell has a plasma membrane, cytoplasm and ribosomes. Mycoplasma are about 0.3 µm long, bacteria 3 to 5 µm, a red blood cell about 7.0 µm. A cube of side s has surface area to volume 6/s.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) , so whole cells fit.
Step 2. (b) , so whole cells.
Answer: ; .
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