en
Download

Micro World

How small is Listeria monocytogenes?

Listeria monocytogenes is about 2 µm long.

What is measured: rod-shaped foodborne bacterium, length

Listeria monocytogenes (2 µm) drawn to scale beside an E. coli bacterium (2 µm) and a red blood cell (7.5 µm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Listeria monocytogenes (2 µm), E. coli bacterium (2 µm) and Red blood cell (7.5 µm).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About the same length as an E. coli bacterium
  • About 3 would fit across a red blood cell
  • About 20× the width of a flu virus
  • About 80× the width of a ribosome

Learn

Facts about Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes can grow even at refrigerator temperatures, making it a notable cause of foodborne illness.

Source: CDC: Listeria; ASM Microbe Library

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with Listeria monocytogenes
Pandoravirus1 µm0.5×
Nitrosomonas europaea Bacterium1.5 µm0.75×
Micrococcus luteus1.5 µm0.75×
Listeria monocytogenes2 µmthis page
Campylobacter jejuni2 µmsame size
Klebsiella pneumoniae2 µmsame size
Deinococcus radiodurans2 µmsame size
Shigella flexneri2.5 µm1.3×
Penicillium Spore3 µm1.5×
Aspergillus niger Spore4 µm2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Listeria monocytogenes or Shigella flexneri?

Topics

More sizes like this