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Micro World

How small is a human melanocyte?

A human melanocyte is about 8 µm across.

What is measured: pigment-producing skin cell, diameter

Human Melanocyte (8 µm) drawn to scale beside a red blood cell (7.5 µm) and a cloud droplet (20 µm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Red blood cell (7.5 µm), Human Melanocyte (8 µm) and Cloud droplet (20 µm).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About the same width as a red blood cell
  • About 2 would fit across a cloud droplet
  • About 8 would fit across a human hair
  • About 4× the length of an E. coli bacterium
  • About 80× as wide as a flu virus

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Facts about Human Melanocyte

Melanocytes produce melanin, the pigment responsible for skin, hair, and eye color in humans.

Source: Britannica, 'Melanocyte'; NIH, 'Skin Biology'

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with Human Melanocyte
Cryptosporidium parvum Oocyst5 µm0.63×
Chlorella Algae Cell5 µm0.63×
Human T Lymphocyte7 µm0.88×
Human B Lymphocyte7 µm0.88×
Cryptococcus neoformans8 µmsame size
Human Melanocyte8 µmthis page
Human Natural Killer Cell10 µm1.3×
Human Pancreatic Beta Cell10 µm1.3×
Rhizopus Spore10 µm1.3×
Human Basophil12 µm1.5×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Human Melanocyte or Human Natural Killer Cell?

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