Biology Question?

Question

Why Would the size of and elephant be expressed in meters but that of a bacterim in microns?

Answer 1

They are both actually being expressed in meters since the definition of micron is one millionth of a meter or one micrometer abbreviated um.
One micrometer = 0.000001 meters. Alternatively, 1 meter contains 1000000 micrometers

“For example, bacteria have to transport their food over less than one micron, which is their body length, while the distance between an elephant's trunk and an organ such as its brain or heart is about ten million times longer."http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051020085358.htm

Answer 2

100cm= 1meter
10^6 micron= 1cm

so if an elephant is 10meter, and u want to express it in microns, won't it be ALOOOOT

and for bacterium, its in microns and u want to express in meter, how many decimal points would u put...???

Answer 3

It would be ridiculous to say in your report that an elephant is 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 microns, wouldn't it?

Answer 4

Larger objects use larger measurements, smaller objects use smaller measurements. That way, like others said, you don't have alot of numbers. It's easier to write, and for others to understand.