(a) A typical bacterial cell (that is, E. coli) has a surface area of 6 m^2 and
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Question
(a) A typical bacterial cell (that is, E. coli) has a surface area of 6 m^2 and a volume of 1m^3. Also, express this volume in femtoliters. Make a corresponding estimate of the mass of such a bacterium.
(b) Roughly 2–3 kg of bacteria are harbored in your large intestine. Make an estimate of the total number of bacteria inhabiting your intestine. Estimate the total number of human cells in your body and compare the two gures.
(c) The claim is made (see Whitman et al., 1998) that in the top 200m of the world’s oceans, there are roughly 10^28 prokaryotes. Work out the total volume taken up by these cells in m^3 and km^3. Compute their mean spacing. How many such cells are there per milliliter of ocean water?
Explanation / Answer
(a) 1m^3 =1000 Liters
1micro m^3 = 10-6 x1000 liter = 10-3 liters
1femto = 10-15
10-3 liters = 10-3 x1015 femtoliters
=1012 femtoliters
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