Scientists Discover the World's Biggest Bacterium and Are Amazed by How It Is Not Like a Bacterium
Image credit: Getty Images Microorganisms are called so because they are so tiny that they can only be seen under a microscope. But in a new study scientists have discovered an extraordinarily huge bacteria that can be seen without a microscope . It dwells in the mangroves of Grande-Terre in the Caribbean. Its single threadlike cell can grow up to two centimeters in length—as long as a peanut—and is 5000 times larger than many other microbes. Furthermore, unlike other bacteria , this giant has a massive genome that is enclosed in a membrane rather than floating freely inside the cell. This is a feature found in far more complicated cells, such as those found in the human body. This separates the newly discovered microorganism not just from other bacteria, but also from other prokaryotes (organisms with very tiny, basic cell structures). "When it comes to bacteria, I never say never, but this one for sure is pushing what we thought was the upper limit [of size] by 10-fold,"