Cell diameter (typical)200 millionths m
73 millionthsPool tables
11.1 quadrillionthsLight-minutes
27.3 millionthsSoccer goal widths
About 200 micrometers
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Radiolarian
A single-celled organism that builds intricate mineral skeletons of astonishing beauty/Microscopic Life
Radiolarians are single-celled marine protists that construct elaborate mineral skeletons of silica or strontium sulfate, forming some of the most geometrically beautiful structures in the natural world. Ernst Haeckel's 1904 illustrations of radiolarians in 'Kunstformen der Natur' (Art Forms in Nature) remain celebrated for their artistic beauty and scientific accuracy. These skeletons feature perfect radial symmetry with ornate spines, lattices, and chambers. Radiolarians have existed for over 500 million years, and their accumulated skeletons form thick layers of siliceous ooze on the ocean floor. Many species harbor symbiotic algae that provide them with nutrients through photosynthesis.
Measurements
Spine length (max)500 millionths m
4.2 hundredthsAspirin tablets
1.4 hundredthsWalnut diameters
66,667Cell membranes
Skeleton pore size5 millionths m
1.3 billionthsAkashi Kaikyo spans
1.4 millionthsRowboat lengths
1 millionthsGarage doors
Cell mass100 trillionths kg
23.8 billionRibosome weights
690 trillionthsBaseball weights
8.3 millionthsHousefly weights
Fossil record age15.8 quadrillion s
263 trillionMicrowave minutes
75.2 trillionPop songs
125 millionUS presidencies
Over 500 million years