The bacterium Escherichia coli (or E. coli ) is a single-celled organism that li

Question

The bacterium Escherichia coli (or E. coli) is a single-celled organism that lives in the gut of healthy humans and animals. Its body shape can be modeled as a 2 m-long cylinder with a 1 mdiameter, and it has a mass of 1×1012g. Its chromosome consists of a single double-stranded chain of DNA 700 times longer than its body length. The bacterium moves at a constant speed of 20 m/s, though not always in the same direction. Answer the following questions about E. coli using SI units (unless specifically requested otherwise) and correct significant figures.

What is its mass?

What is the length of its DNA, in millimeters?

Explanation / Answer

Mass is already given in the question.

For length of DNA,

The length of the E. coli is 2 microns = 2*10^-6 meters.

Since the DNA is 700 times the length of the bacterium, so length of DNA is:

(7*10^2)*(2*10^-6 m) = 1.4*10^-3 m = 1.4 mm

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