Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Ta b l e 5 . 2 3
Decimal orders
Prefix
Symbol Power
10
24
yotta
Y
10
21
zetta
Z
10
18
exa
E
10
15
peta
P
10
12
tera
T
10
9
giga
G
10
6
mega
M
10
3
kilo
K
10
2
hecto
h
10
1
deka
da
10
−
1
deci
d
10
−
2
centi
c
10
−
3
milli
m
10
−
6
micro
μ
10
−
9
nano
n
10
−
12
pico
p
10
−
15
femto
f
10
−
18
atto
a
10
−
21
zepto
z
10
−
24
yocto
y
Tables 5.24, 5.25, 5.26, 5.27, and 5.28 summarize some of the most impor-
tant measures on which universe, life and evolution are based on. The web site
http://bionumbers.hms.harvard.edu
hosts a huge collection of num-
bers corresponding to measures of quantities of biological organisms. The numbers
of regarding measurements that relate to bacterium Escherichia coli constitute a file
of size near to one megabyte.
Usually, the macroscopic quantities of time, space, and mass are around three
or four orders above second, meter, and gram, respectively. The microscopic mag-
nitudes have the same range but six orders below these orders, while three or-
ders below the microscopic world we have the nanoscale. The visual resolution
of our eyes can distinguish at the level of one-tenth of a millimeter. The micro-
scope can increase that by around 2000 times, while more powerful instruments can
increase our sight by millions of times. Telescopes have visibility ranges around
10
20
, and by means of radio telescopes we can receive signals from the extreme
part of the universe. But structures of small molecules and atoms are placed at
nano scales. Therefore, we can see cells, but we cannot see inside molecules and
atoms, even if we can indirectly inspect their structure by using suitable physical
phenomena.
