Largest known bacterium

What to remember

A bacterium you can see with the naked eye: Thiomargarita magnifica grows to 1 cm in length, making it the largest known species of bacterium. The record is dated 2022.

The gap with ordinary bacteria is clear: it is about five thousand times the size of more typical bacteria. At that size, no microscope is needed to spot it.

Among the largest organisms, which can be compared by mass, volume, area, length or height, it stands out for its length.