Sizes of Cells

• What are the prefixes used to describe sizes in biology?

  Centimeter (cm), millimeter (mm), micrometer (µm), nanometer (nm)
• How many centimeters are in a meter?

  100 centimeters
• What does the prefix 'centi' mean?

  It means one hundredth (1/100) of a meter.
• What is the significance of using prefixes like centi, milli, micro, and nano in biology?

  • They help describe very small sizes of biological objects
  • Facilitate communication of measurements in a standardized way
• Why are standard form and prefixes important in biological measurements?

  They simplify the expression of very small or large measurements.
• How many millimeters are in a centimeter?

  10 millimeters
• What does the prefix 'micro' mean?

  It means one millionth (1/1,000,000) of a meter.
• What is the typical size range of a human cell?

  10 to 20 micrometers
• What is the standard form representation of 1 centimeter?

  1 cm = 1 * 10^-2 m
• What does the prefix 'milli' mean?

  It means one thousandth (1/1000) of a meter.
• What is the standard form representation of 1 millimeter?

  1 mm = 1 * 10^-3 m
• How many micrometers are in a millimeter?

  1,000 micrometers
• What is the standard form representation of 1 micrometer?

  1 µm = 1 * 10^-6 m
• What does the prefix 'nano' mean?

  It means one billionth (1/1,000,000,000) of a meter.
• What is the standard form representation of 1 nanometer?

  1 nm = 1 * 10^-9 m
• What is the approximate diameter of a hemoglobin molecule?

  About 5 nanometers
• How do the prefixes centi, milli, micro, and nano relate to each other in terms of size?

  • Centi: 1 cm = 10 mm
  • Milli: 1 mm = 1,000 µm
  • Micro: 1 µm = 1,000 nm
  • Nano: 1 nm = 1 billionth of a meter
• Why are nanometers used in measuring proteins and cells?

  Because proteins and cellular components are very small, often measured in nanometers.