• filcuk@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    1 year ago

    Err, I don’t think that’s right. That’s physically impossible. Only electrons are small enough to visualise molecules and atoms, which is why you need electron microscope to see those.

    • Eiri@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Whoa, my optometrist told me that’s what they are and now I’m really disappointed.

      Considering their shape and what you said about them being impossible to observe in visible light… I guess those branch-like pieces are cell organelle fragments instead?

      Dang, and here I was excited to be seeing molecules.

      • Flax@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        You can see cells with the naked eye as well. Notably, eggs. Chicken eggs are also one cell. The largest cell is an ostrich egg.

        • frezik@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          1 year ago

          There are amoebas that reach 5mm in length.

          IIRC, there are limits on how big they can get based on how far RNA can travel after copying DNA.

          • Flax@feddit.uk
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            Eggs are still bigger. I think you can actually see human eggs with the naked eye, as they are the width of a hair. Would probably need to be placed on a contrasting surface, though, and appear as a tiny speck