jakebarrington Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 How many atoms are there in the average human cell? Including all parts of the cell (lipid bilayer, nucleus, ribosomes, etc.)
timo Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 Assume a thousand times the density of a gas (NA atoms in 23 litres, if I remember correctly) and scale it down to the volume of a human cell. Should give a rough estimate.
swansont Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 Assume a thousand times the density of a gas (NA atoms in 23 litres, if I remember correctly) and scale it down to the volume of a human cell. Should give a rough estimate. Density of water would work, as well, as a justification. Organisms tend to be neutrally buoyant, to a first-order approximation. Both give about a gram per cm^3. (and yes, that number is approximately right — it's 22.4 liters per mole at STP)
timo Posted April 24, 2013 Posted April 24, 2013 As a matter of fact by "1000 times the mass of gas" I mean a typical fluid. Of course looking up the density or approximately knowig it is more accurate than my guess. I like the argument for chosing water as a specific fluid.
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