Question

A mycoplasma is an organism with a diameter between 0.1 and 1.0 µm. What does the organism's size tell you about how it might be classified?

A) It must be a single-celled protist.
B) It must be a single-celled fungus.
C) It could be almost any typical bacterium.
D) It could be a typical virus.
E) It could be a very small bacterium.

Answer 1

The size of a mycoplasma suggests that it is option E) a very small bacterium, as it is within the size range of typical bacteria and is too large to be a typical virus and smaller than most protists.

Step-by-step explanation:

The size of a mycoplasma organism, which ranges from 0.1 to 1.0 µm, indicates that it could be a very small bacterium. These organisms are known to be the smallest bacteria, which lack a cell wall. Some mycoplasmas are free-living while others are pathogenic. In comparison, viruses are much smaller, ranging from about 20-300 nanometers (nm), and protists are larger, eukaryotic organisms that can be unicellular or multicellular. In this context, the correct classification of a mycoplasma is option E) It could be a very small bacterium, considering that most typical bacteria measure about 1 µm, which fits within the size range of mycoplasmas.