| Value |
0.6
µm
Range: 0.5-0.7 µm
|
| Organism |
Prochlorococcus |
| Reference |
Partensky F, Hess WR, Vaulot D. Prochlorococcus, a marine photosynthetic prokaryote of global significance. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 1999 Mar63(1):106-27. p.106 left column 2nd paragraphPubMed ID10066832
|
| Primary Source |
[110] Morel, A., Y.-W. Ahn, F. Partensky, D. Vaulot, and H. Claustre. 1993. Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus: a comparative study of their size, pigmentation and related optical properties. J. Mar. Res. 51:617-649. |
| Comments |
P.106 left column 2nd paragraph : "(i) The tiny size of Prochlorococcus (equivalent spherical diameter in culture, 0.5 to 0.7 μm [primary source]) makes it the smallest known photosynthetic organism, having the lowest predictable size for an O2 evolver (ref 136). The discovery and first field studies of this organism were made possible only by the use of sensitive flow cytometers onboard research vessels (refs 21, 88, 116). Since then, the development of procedures to fix and preserve picoplanktonic cells has allowed cells to be transported to the laboratory for analysis (refs 104,173). As a result, the number of studies of picoplankton including Prochlorococcus has steadily increased. The ubiquity of this organism within the 40°S to 40°N latitudinal band, its high density, and its occupation of a 100- to 200-m-deep layer make it the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the ocean and presumably on Earth." Marine cyanobacteria are to date the smallest known photosynthetic organisms: Prochlorococcus is the smallest. The best estimates made on cultures give
a range of 0.5 to 0.8µm for length and 0.4 to 0.6µm for width
(DOI: 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1995.00934.x, DOI: 10.1357/0022240933223963). |
| Entered by |
Ron Milo - Admin |
| ID |
101520 |