Inside a cell

[Jedidiah]

Saw this a couple years ago and enjoyed it. Then I could not find it. Here it is for you.

[mossrose]

We are surely fearfully and wonderfully made!

[rwatts]

Saw this a couple years ago and enjoyed it. Then I could not find it. Here it is for you.

The statistic I like is this - if you got every human on the planet and removed all the space between the atoms from which they are made, and removed all the space within the atoms, you would have a block roughly the size of a large sugar cube.

We nearly do not exist. It's kind of humbling.

[sylas]

The statistic I like is this - if you got every human on the planet and removed all the space between the atoms from which they are made, and removed all the space within the atoms, you would have a block roughly the size of a large sugar cube.

We nearly do not exist. It's kind of humbling.

That seems way too big.

First, removing space between atoms.

Human body by elements, by mass, is:

• 65% Oxygen
• 18.5% Carbon
• 9.5% Hydrogen
• 3.2% Nitrogen
• 1.5% Calcium
• 1.0% Phosphorus
• 0.4% Potassium
• 0.3% Sulfur
• 0.2% Sodium
• 0.2% Chlorine
• 0.1% Magnesium

Using the atomic weights for each element, and the atomic radius, I get a volume of about 52 cubic centimeters per kilogram for those elements. For a 75kg person, that would be a cube about 16cm along each edge. That's roughly 6 inches for those who don't grok metric.

An atom is nearly all empty space. The nucleus of the atom is the largest part (unless you consider the electrons to be smeared out throughout their orbitals, and it is about 10,000 of the radius of the atom itself.

So you can scale the edge of the cube by 10,000; to give a 75 kg person compressed into a cube about 16 microns along each edge.

Check my figures would you please? :-)

Cheers -- sylas

PS. Just noticed... you are compressing ALL HUMANITY. That's evil. I like it. OK... total mass of humanity is about 287 million tonnes. (Estimated for 2005: ref The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass) Scale up to 300 million for a bit of growth since then, and I get a cube of about 2.5 cm on edge; a sugar cube an inch along each side.

PPS. Interesting side note. From the paper on human biomass:

North America has 6% of the world population but 34% of biomass due to obesity.

Something to think about.

[Roy]

PPS. Interesting side note. From the paper on human biomass:

North America has 6% of the world population but 34% of biomass due to obesity.

Something to think about.

But not for too long.

Roy

[TheLurch]

My all time favorite biology video is this one:

Years of work from multiple labs doing biochemistry, genetics and structural biology were required for us to make that video. At least one Nobel Prize was won along the way. And someone managed to distill it down to a single, mind-blowing minute.

If someone wants to know about more about what they're watching, i'm happy to answer questions - many years ago i majored in biochemistry in college.

[klaus54]

...
PPS. Interesting side note. From the paper on human biomass:

North America has 6% of the world population but 34% of biomass due to obesity.

Something to think about.

Doesn't Aussie-land come in second place in that rating? (per capita of course...)



K54

[Roy]

Doesn't Aussie-land come in second place in that rating? (per capita of course...)



K54

Maybe 3rd after Samoa

Roy

[rwatts]

... a sugar cube an inch along each side.

Well those cubes are for folk who do like sugar in their tea.

Excellent post as always sylas.

[Roy]

Well those cubes are for folk who do like sugar in their tea.

And probably contribute to the obesity too

Roy

[Juvenal]

Check my figures would you please? :-)

[...]

I get a cube of about 2.5 cm on edge; a sugar cube an inch along each side.

At 300,000,000 tonnes for the sugar lump, and about 5 cm separation as you take a sip, I get about 800 g's acceleration on your lips, and 30 g's on the back of your head.

Not quite sure what that kind of tidal force would do to your head, but I'm quite sure that's one killer cup of tea.

[rwatts]

At 300,000,000 tonnes for the sugar lump, and about 5 cm separation as you take a sip, I get about 800 g's acceleration on your lips, and 30 g's on the back of your head.

Not quite sure what that kind of tidal force would do to your head, but I'm quite sure that's one killer cup of tea.

They do say that too much sugar is bad for one's health.

[rogue06]

Saw this a couple years ago and enjoyed it. Then I could not find it. Here it is for you.

Neat video, but it didn't look anything like the inside of the cell Sparko was in when CP and I bailed him out.