The Scale of Things

1 grain of sand = 10 skin cells

0.5 millimeter

1 skin cell = 5 blood cells

50 micrometers

1 blood cell = 2 X chromosomes or ~2 yeast cells

10 micrometers

1 X chromosome = 1 yeast cell = 10 E. coli

5 micrometers

1 E. coli or mitochondrion = 2 M. superstes

0.5 micrometer

1 M. superstes = 4 ribosomes

0.25 micrometer

1 ribosome = 6 catalase enzymes

30 nanometers

1 catalase enzyme = 5 glucose molecules

5 nanometers

1 glucose molecule or amino acid = approximately 4–6 water molecules

1 nanometer

1 water molecule = 275,000 atomic nuclei

0.275 nanometer

1 atomic nucleus

1 picometer

 

 

1 inch = 25.4 millimeters

 

1 foot (12 inches) = 0.3048 meter

 

1 yard (3 feet) = 0.9144 meter

 

1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers

 

 

 

1 million = 106 (1 with 6 zeros)

 

1 billion = 109 (1 with 9 zeros)

 

1 trillion = 1012 (1 with 12 zeros)

 

milli = 10-3 (1 thousandth)

 

micro = 10-6 (1 millionth)

 

nano = 10-9 (1 billionth)

 

pico = 10-12 (1 1,000 billionth, or a trillionth)

 

 

 

32°F = 0°C

 

212°F = 100°C