Topline
Scientists in the Caribbean have discovered the largest known bacterium, coming in at one centimeter, or roughly the size of a human eyelash—5,000 times larger than most bacteria.
The bacterium, stretching to about half an inch in length, is roughly 5,000 times larger than most … [+]
Key Facts
Scientists on the island of Guadeloupe in the French Lesser Antilles discovered the bacterium in a pile of decaying mangrove leaves, according to a report in the journal Science published Thursday.
The cell—called thiomargarita magnifica—came in at a whopping 10 millimeters, making it the first known bacterium visible with the naked eye.
Most bacterial cells are roughly 2 micrometers (or approximately two-thousandths of a millimeter) in length, and some specimens are as large as 750 micrometers (three-quarters of a millimeter), making the newly-discovered cell roughly 5,000 times larger than most bacteria, according to the study.
After studying the bacterium using fluorescence, x-ray and electron microscopes, scientists realized it can “grow orders of magnitude over theoretical limits for bacterial cell size.”
Crucial Quote
Jean-Marie Volland, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told the BBC, “to put things into perspective, it is the equivalent for us humans to encounter another human who would be as tall as Mount Everest.”
Surprising Fact
Scientists say the bacterium does not act the same way most other bacteria would in one key way. Unlike most bacteria – which have free-floating DNA – thiomargarita magnifica stores its DNA in separate sections of its body, exhibiting a characteristic resembling eukaryotic cells, the complicated cells that make up plants and animals, Volland told the BBC.
Key Background
The thiomargarita magnifica specimen was first identified on Guadeloupe in 2009, but was not researched in detail until recently. Bacteria were first discovered in 1675 by Antonie van Leeuenhoek, who observed the organisms in ponds, rainwater and human saliva.
Further Reading
Record bacterium discovered as long as human eyelash (BBC)
A centimeter-long bacterium with DNA contained in metabolically active, membrane-bound organelles (Science)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/06/23/scientists-find-eyelash-sized-bacterium-largest-ever-discovered/