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The average human skin cell measures 30 µm in diameter. What is the diameter in millimeters (mm)?

User Bribles
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Final answer:

The diameter of an average human skin cell is 0.03 mm, achieved by dividing the measurement of 30 μm by the conversion factor of 1,000 micrometers per millimeter.

Step-by-step explanation:

To convert the average human skin cell measurement from micrometers to millimeters, we need to recognize the conversion factor between these two units. There are 1,000 micrometers (μm) in 1 millimeter (mm). So, if an average skin cell is 30 μm in diameter, we simply divide by 1,000 to find the measurement in millimeters.

The diameter of an average human skin cell is 0.03 mm when converted from micrometers.

To further understand this, it's important to note that the prefix 'micro-' denotes a factor of 10-6, or one-millionth of a meter, while 'milli-' denotes a factor of 10-3, or one-thousandth of a meter. This means a micrometer is 0.001 millimeters, which makes the conversion straightforward. To illustrate the relative size, consider that about 250 red blood cells could fit on a pinhead, with each red blood cell averaging 8 μm in diameter. This simple calculation helps provide a clearer perspective on the scale at which we are working, underscoring the precision required in fields like microbiology and cell biology, where such small measurements are commonplace.

User Gokul Thiagarajan
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