How Microscopic Is A Tardigrade?

[Bartmanhomer]

I heard of a Tardigrade (Water Bear) is microscopic. But how microscopic is a Tardigrade?

[hamishspence]

I heard of a Tardigrade (Water Bear) is microscopic. But how microscopic is a Tardigrade?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

Tardigrades are usually about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long when fully grown.

The biggest adults may reach a body length of 1.5 mm (0.059 in), the smallest below 0.1 mm.

Newly hatched tardigrades may be smaller than 0.05 mm.

[Murk]

Strangely enough, that means that with a nice contrasting background, tardigrades are quite visible to the eye.
Which makes the word "microscopic" a bit ironic.

[Fyraltari]

Is ‘milliscopic’ a word? It feels like it should be a word.

[Eldan]

Is ‘milliscopic’ a word? It feels like it should be a word.

No, but there's a term "Mesofauna" for "medium sized" animals. Tardigrades fall into that category.

[Kaptin Keen]

Is ‘milliscopic’ a word? It feels like it should be a word.

Magniscopic, perhaps - because you need a magnifying glass, but not a microscope, to see them properly?

Should a magnifying glass really be called a magniscope?

[thirsting]

Should a magnifying glass really be called a magniscope?

Suurennuslasi, because English is not confusing enough yet and has not borrowed enough from Finnish so far :p


Normal table sugar crystals might be a good comparison to help visualize how big tardigrades are?

[Peelee]

Is ‘milliscopic’ a word? It feels like it should be a word.

It is if you use it enough!

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Given that a traditional microscope works best for viewing objects from several um to a bit below a millimeter in size a milliscope would be perfect for viewing stuff between several millimeters and a meter in size.

I'm not sure that's en invention we need. ;)

[Fyraltari]

It is if you use it enough!

If enough people use it enough. If I'm the only one doing it, I'll just sound weird.

[Peelee]

If enough people use it enough. If I'm the only one doing it, I'll just sound weird.

True, but you could take a shortcut - become an overrated English playwright, and then you can get away with making up new words fine.

[Bartmanhomer]

For some reason I feel like tardigrade is a Pokemon name.

[Aeson]

Given that a traditional microscope works best for viewing objects from several um to a bit below a millimeter in size a milliscope would be perfect for viewing stuff between several millimeters and a meter in size.

I'm not sure that's en invention we need. ;)

I can think of a great many devices which are used for viewing stuff between several millimeters and a meter in size. Some, such as the overhead projector, are relatively obsolescent; others, such as reading glasses and various devices for putting a corrective lens in front of a person's eye, are in widespread use among the general populace and probably won't go away any time soon.

[Khedrac]

I can think of a great many devices which are used for viewing stuff between several millimeters and a meter in size. Some, such as the overhead projector, are relatively obsolescent; others, such as reading glasses and various devices for putting a corrective lens in front of a person's eye, are in widespread use among the general populace and probably won't go away any time soon.

Magnifying glasses and jeweller's loupes being classic examples of devices for exactly this purpose.

[Fyraltari]

True, but you could take a shortcut - become an overrated English playwright, and then you can get away with making up new words fine.

That sounds like work, though.

[Peelee]

That sounds like work, though.

Fair. Alternative plan: sneak into a library and scribble it into the dictionary.

[Bavarian itP]

Is ‘milliscopic’ a word? It feels like it should be a word.

The term "microscope" is older than the SI-prefixes. That's probably why it's not (yet) a word.