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Micro World

How small is a Penicillium spore?

A typical Penicillium spore is about 3 µm across.

What is measured: conidium, typical diameter

Penicillium Spore (3 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: E. coli bacterium (2 µm), Penicillium Spore (3 µm) and Red blood cell (7.5 µm).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About 2 would fit across a red blood cell
  • About 1.5× the length of an E. coli bacterium
  • About 6 would fit across a cloud droplet
  • About 30× as wide as a flu virus

Learn

Facts about Penicillium Spore

Penicillium mold produces chains of these tiny spores, one species of which gave rise to the first antibiotic, penicillin.

Source: CDC Fungal Diseases; Mycology textbooks

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with Penicillium Spore
Listeria monocytogenes2 µm0.67×
Campylobacter jejuni2 µm0.67×
Klebsiella pneumoniae2 µm0.67×
Deinococcus radiodurans2 µm0.67×
Shigella flexneri2.5 µm0.83×
Penicillium Spore3 µmthis page
Aspergillus niger Spore4 µm1.3×
Clostridium difficile4 µm1.3×
Cryptosporidium parvum Oocyst5 µm1.7×
Chlorella Algae Cell5 µm1.7×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Penicillium Spore or Shigella flexneri?

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