In terms of size, what is the largest single molecule in existence and what magnification would we need to be able to see it?

looney_tunes

Here's a very large one: “In Germany, a research team used the new instruments to examine an enormous molecule, the yeast 26S proteasome. Though not the largest molecule in existence, the yeast 26S proteasome contains over two million protons and neutrons and is the largest non-symmetrical molecule mapped to date. This molecule can only be described as a ‘wonder.’ It serves as an intracellular waste-disposal and recycling system” (Hugh Ross, Ph.D., Small-scale Evidence of Grand Scale Design). It could be argued that a diamond is a singe large molecule - no magnification required to see one! http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2000-11/975640245.Ch.r.html But that is really stretching the definition of a molecule. On a more conventional note, "DNA, a macromolecule, can reach macroscopic sizes, as can molecules of many polymers." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule Oct 14 08, 12:45 AM

zbeckabee

A diamond crystal is a single covalently-bonded carbon molecule. The largest one found to date was named the Cullinan, massing 621.2 grams. Cured epoxy resin, crosslinked silicone, cured polyester resin... almost any extensively crosslinked thermoset resin approximates to one big molecule. The naked eye would probably cut the mustard. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/nov2000/975640245.Ch.r.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullinan_Diamond Oct 14 08, 7:25 AM

coasterguy9

titin. it is the single largest protein ever uncovered. it's chemical formula is: C132983 H211861 N36149 O40883 S693 and it's name has over 189000 letters. can be found at this site: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061113221628AAxlNn5 Nov 27 09, 2:00 PM

Guashi

Human DNA molecules (even if not the largest compared to DNA molecules of many other organisms) are massive, so an average chromosome which contains two molecules of DNA (kind of intertwined but still independent from each other) will have roughly 1,300,000,000 carbon atoms, so one DNA molecule alone would have about 650,000,000 carbon atoms (an extremely rough average considering nucleotide composition, the building blocks which make up the DNA molecule). That's without considering all the hydrogens,nitrogens, oxygens, and phosphates present in it. Sure this is highly relative, because numbers would also change depending on the DNA's actual code (base composition). Anyway, the human DNA molecule surely makes that titin protein seem like a dwarf! Sep 30 12, 5:58 PM