How Much Does a Single Cell Weigh?
How much does a living cell weigh? Scientists can now answer this question very accurately by means of a new cell scale. The scale is so tiny that it can be placed directly under a microscope to weigh a cell, while you study the processes in the cell interior. The scale includes an extremely thin arm, which captures a cell. The arm is induced to oscillate using laser, and by measuring its oscillations with and without the cell, the weight can be calculated with an accuracy of trillionths of a gram. Cells usually weigh 2-3 nanograms.