TABLE OF CONTENTS Cell biology deals with things that are relatively small. The units of measurement typically used are the micron at the light microscope level, and the nanometer at the electron microscope level. For molecular measurements, the norm is the Angstrom. These units are defined within the following table:
| Measure | Symbol | Relative Length | Exponential Notation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meter | M | 1 | 10 |
| Decimeter | dm | .1 | 10 ?1 |
| Centimeter | cm | .01 | 10 ?2 |
| Millimeter | mm | .001 | 10 3 |
| Micrometer or micron | m | .000001 | 10 6 |
| Nanometer | nm | .000000001 | 10 9 |
| Angstrom |
| .0000000001 | 10 ?10 |
From this table it is apparent that:
10 =1 nm
1000 nm=1 mm
10 mm=1 cm
Not apparent are that:
1 inch=2.54 cm=25.4 mm=25400 m=25400000 nm
1 inch=2.54 cm=2.54 10 1 mm=2.54 10 4 m=2.54 10 7 nm
1 mm=0.04 inches.
1 mole
1 millimole (mmole)=10 ? 3 moles
1 micromole ( mole)=10 ? 6 moles
1 nanomole (nmole)=10 9 moles
1 picomole (pmole)=10 ?12 moles
1 gram (g)
1 milligram (mg)=10 ? 3 g
1 microgram ( g)=10 6 g
Concentration=weight/volume
1 M (molar)=1 mole/liter or 1 mmole/mL
1 mM=1 mmole/liter, etc.
Volumes are measured relative to a liter, with the most commonly used measurements, the milliliter, and the microliter. The following table provides the relative volumes:
| Measure | Symbol | Relative Volume | Exponential Notation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liter | L | 1 | 10 7 |
| Deciliter | dL | .1 | 10 ? 1 |
| Milliliter | mL | .001 | 10 3 |
| Microliter | L | .000001 |
