The Biometric Analysis of Bacterial Cells in Soil

The biometric analysis of bacterial cells in soil by light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy showed that their average size is 0.8 m in diameter, 1.4 m in length, and 0.7 m³ in volume. In soil loci with enhanced microbiological activity (the rhizoplane of plants and the intestinal tract of soil invertebrates), the average size of bacterial cells was found to be 40% smaller than that of cells occurring in other parts of soil. This is the first experimental evidence showing that the metabolic activity of soil bacteria, their concentration, and allometric parameters are related.