Final answer:
A meter contains one million micrometers. This measurement unit is crucial in microscopy, where structures like bacterial cells and red blood cells are measured in micrometers due to their minute size.
Step-by-step explanation:
A meter is equivalent to one million micrometers. In microscopy, micrometer (µm) is the unit of measurement commonly used to measure cells and microorganisms because most of them are incredibly small. For instance, a typical bacterial cell is about 1 µm in size, and a typical human red blood cell is around 8 µm in diameter. For a tangible comparison, consider that you could fit about 250 red blood cells across the diameter of a pinhead, which is approximately two millimeters (mm) wide.
When using a microscope, different lenses provide varying levels of magnification, essential for examining specimens that can range from a few micrometers to a hundred micrometers in size. Understanding the relationship between meters and micrometers is crucial in different fields, including biology and microbiology, as it allows for accurate measurement and understanding of the microscopic world.