True scale, in nanometers (1 nm = a millionth of a millimeter). Scroll to zoom, or press Zoom tour.
| Poliovirus | ~30 nm |
| Antibody (IgG) | ~15 nm |
| Hemoglobin | ~6.5 nm |
| Cholesterol, a lipid · C₂₇H₄₆O | ~2 nm long |
| Sucrose, table sugar · C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ | ~1.4 nm |
| Glucose · C₆H₁₂O₆ | ~1 nm |
| Alanine, an amino acid · C₃H₇NO₂ | ~0.7 nm |
| Water · H₂O | ~0.3 nm |
| Carbon atom, bonded | ~0.15 nm |
Proteins: real atom positions from the Protein Data Bank (2PLV, 2HHB, 1IGT). The poliovirus shows one bead per amino acid. Small molecules: computed 3D shapes. Space-filling uses van der Waals radii.