Minimal size of bacterial cell

Range diameter ≥0.2μm: volume 0.014 - 0.06 μm^3
Organism bacteria
Reference Branko Velimirov, Nanobacteria, Ultramicrobacteria and Starvation Forms: A Search for the Smallest Metabolizing Bacterium, Microbes and Environments Vol. 16 (2001) No. 2 P 67-77 link Abstract & p.68 right column top paragraph
Primary Source Koch AL. What size should a bacterium be? A question of scale. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1996 50: 317-48 & Maniloff J. Nannobacteria: size limits and evidence. Science. 1997 Jun 20 276(5320):1776 author reply 1777. & Psenner R, Loferer M. Nannobacteria: size limits and evidence. Science. 1997 Jun 20 276(5320):1776-7 author reply 1777.PubMed ID8905083, 9206833, 9206835
Comments "A bacterial cell which is growing and dividing needs to be large enough to accommodate DNA and RNA, enzymes for replication transcription and translation, solvent for substances as well as a minimum set of proteins and plasamtic space to run the operations. Many authors assume that this requires a cell with a diameter not smaller than 200 nm and with a volume between 0.014 and 0.06 µm^3...It seems that the general consensus concerning the minimum size enabling independent life for a cell is a volume of between 0.014 and 0.06µm^3 with a diameter ranging from 0.14 to 0.3µm (primary sources)."
Entered by Uri M
ID 110080