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Micro World

How small is a Coscinodiscus diatom?

A Coscinodiscus diatom is about 150 µm across.

What is measured: disc-shaped diatom, shell diameter

Coscinodiscus Diatom (150 µm) drawn to scale beside a human egg cell (115 µm) and a grain of sand (500 µm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Human egg cell (115 µm), Coscinodiscus Diatom (150 µm) and Grain of sand (500 µm).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • A little wider than a human egg cell
  • As wide as about 2 human hairs side by side
  • About 3 would fit across a grain of sand
  • As wide as about 7 cloud droplets side by side
  • As wide as about 20 red blood cells side by side

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Facts about Coscinodiscus Diatom

Coscinodiscus diatoms have intricately patterned silica shells that scatter light in complex ways studied for photonic design.

Source: Diatoms of North America: Coscinodiscus; Encyclopedia of Life: Coscinodiscus

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with Coscinodiscus Diatom
Pine Pollen Grain70 µm0.47×
Human Adipocyte100 µm0.67×
Euplotes100 µm0.67×
Human Cardiomyocyte100 µm0.67×
Human Smooth Muscle Cell100 µm0.67×
Onion Epidermal Cell100 µm0.67×
Didinium150 µmsame size
Coscinodiscus Diatom150 µmthis page
Human Purkinje Cell250 µm1.7×
Blepharisma japonicum300 µm2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Coscinodiscus Diatom or Human Adipocyte?

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