A honeybee is about 7,500 times as long as a bacterium. Selected basis: a representative value for Honeybee; an example for Bacterium; approximate values.
The ring marks the true-scale position of a bacterium; it does not show its width. Only the inset is enlarged (×1,920).
Both rulers start at the same zero and share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its original proportions.
1.5 cm - Body length; representative; range 1 cm–1.5 cm.
A honeybee is a social insect that lives in a colony and gathers nectar and pollen from flowers.
A 15 mm worker honeybee (Apis mellifera), at the upper end of the cited 10–15 mm worker range. Body length excludes antennae, legs and wings. The 100 mg mass is a separate illustrative assumption.
University of Michigan — Apis mellifera2 µm - Length; example.
A bacterium is a single-celled microorganism without a membrane-bound nucleus. Different bacterial species have very different forms and sizes.
A 2 µm long illustrative bacterium. Species and growth conditions vary.
Defined examples — our methodology
There’s always another scale
Living thingsHoneybee1.5 cmA honeybee is a social insect that lives in a colony and gathers nectar and pollen from flowers.
MicroscopicBacterium2 µmA bacterium is a single-celled microorganism without a membrane-bound nucleus.
Everyday thingsUS quarter2.426 cmA US quarter is a coin worth twenty-five cents, commonly used in United States currency.
Living thingsSmall ant5 mmAn ant is a social insect that lives in an organised colony, usually with workers, a queen and specialised roles.
PeopleHuman1.75 mA human is a primate of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished by habitual upright walking, language and complex tool use.
MicroscopicCell10 µmA cell is the basic structural unit of living organisms.A closer look
Side by side
Illustrative artwork · not to scale
Illustrative artwork · not to scale
Illustrative artwork · not to scale
Illustrative artwork · not to scaleGot a good eye for scale?