{
  "name": "Cell sizes from 0.2 µm bacteria to metre-long cells, with sources",
  "desc": "Published cell sizes, one claim per row: what was measured, low and high values with units, whether the row counts as one cell by every definition, method, source, year and reading level; five rows computed as spheres of a stated volume and two as circles of a measured cross-section.",
  "lic": "CC BY 4.0",
  "lic_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "by": "Ants, Cells & Atoms",
  "url": "https://antscellsandatoms.com/scale/how-big-is-a-cell/",
  "from": [
    "values typed from the sources named in each row; GBIF Backbone keys looked up 2026-10-25"
  ],
  "how": "Compiled by Ants, Cells & Atoms from the data listed",
  "data_by": [
    "Marshall WF et al. 2012, What determines cell size?, BMC Biology 10:101, CC BY 2.0, https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-10-101 (essays by Young KD, Frankel J and Wallingford J; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Luef B et al. 2015, Nature Communications 6:6372 (abstract), https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7372 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Zhao X et al. 2017, Applied and Environmental Microbiology 83(3):e02807-16 (abstract), https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02807-16 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Partensky F, Hess WR, Vaulot D 1999, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 63(1):106-127 (abstract), https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.63.1.106-127.1999 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Volland JM et al. 2022, Science 376(6600):1453-1458 (abstract), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb3634 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Volkmer B, Heinemann M 2011, PLoS ONE 6(7):e23126, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023126 (Table 1; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Gooday AJ et al. 2018, Scientific Reports 8:12103, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30186-2 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Gooday AJ, Durden JM, Smith CR 2020, Communicative & Integrative Biology 13(1):189-197, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2020.1843818 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Lisicki M et al. 2019, eLife 8:e44907, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.44907 (Appendix 1 flagellates, Appendix 2 ciliates; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Velho Rodrigues MF, Lisicki M, Lauga E 2021, PLOS ONE 16(6):e0252291, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252291 (Table 9; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Moore ER et al. 2017, PLOS ONE 12(7):e0181098, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181098 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Piegari G et al. 2019, Frontiers in Veterinary Science 6:404, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00404 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Terracciano M, De Stefano L, Rea I 2018, Pharmaceutics 10(4):242, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics10040242 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Gastineau R et al. 2021, Biology 10(4):328, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10040328 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Razavi M, Saberi Fathi SM, Tuszynski JA 2022, Entropy 24(1):94, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.3390/e24010094 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R 2016, PLoS Biology 14(8):e1002533, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Pors SE et al. 2022, Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 39(10):2209-2214, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-022-02602-0 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Roy D, Tedeschi A 2021, Cells 10(5):1078, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10051078 (retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "GBIF Secretariat, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei, CC BY 4.0 (taxon keys, accessed 2026-10-25)",
    "equivalent-sphere diameters computed 2026-10-25 for this page with units carried at every step",
    "Rillo MC, Miller CG, Kucera M, Ezard THG 2020, Ecology and Evolution 10(20):11579-11590, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6792 (adult Globorotalia menardii shells; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Hohenegger J, Kinoshita S, Briguglio A, Eder W, Wöger J 2019, Scientific Reports 9:8286, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44646-w (Nummulites gizehensis tests of 5 and 30 mm; largest larger benthic foraminifera 13 cm living and 19 cm fossil; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Gerber T et al. 2022, eLife 11:e69745, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.69745 (Physarum polycephalum plasmodium extent, area and nucleus size; retrieved 2026-10-25)",
    "Janssens GE, Veenhoff LM 2016, PLOS ONE 11(12):e0167394 and its S1 File, CC BY 4.0, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167394 (baker's yeast mother cell diameters; equivalent diameters computed 2026-10-25 for this page; retrieved 2026-10-25)"
  ]
}