Ribosome
A ribosome is a molecular machine that builds proteins by reading instructions carried by messenger RNA.
25 nmCharacteristic sizeBeyond the eye
Ribosome vs Virus
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Virus
A virus is an infectious particle containing genetic material inside a protein coat, sometimes with an outer envelope.
100 nmCharacteristic sizeVirus has about 4 times the characteristic size of Ribosome.
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Ribosome
A chosen 25 nm ribosome. Size depends on organism and subunit state.
University of Utah — Cell size and scale
The marked characteristic size is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Virus
A chosen 100 nm viral particle, including the approximate envelope. Viruses vary greatly.
University of Utah — Cell size and scale
The marked characteristic size is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares characteristic size with characteristic size. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Ribosome
25 nmCharacteristic size · representative
A chosen 25 nm ribosome. Size depends on organism and subunit state.
Virus
100 nmCharacteristic size · representative
A chosen 100 nm viral particle, including the approximate envelope. Viruses vary greatly.
- Comparing
- Characteristic size ↔ Characteristic size
- Relative size
- Virus is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 4. Virus's selected measurement is approximately 300% greater than Ribosome's.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
- Ribosome is labelled representative; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
- Virus is labelled representative; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
MicroscopicRibosome25 nmA ribosome is a molecular machine that builds proteins by reading instructions carried by messenger RNA.MicroscopicVirus100 nmA virus is an infectious particle containing genetic material inside a protein coat, sometimes with an outer envelope.
Fundamental physicsProton1.682 fmA proton is a positively charged particle found in the nucleus of atoms, made up of quarks.
Microscopic10 µm cell10 µmA cell is the basic structural unit of living organisms.
People70 µm hair70 µmA hair is a slender strand of protein that grows from the skin of humans and other mammals.Side by side
Another point of view.
