Atoms are much smaller than biological cells. Atoms form molecules and it is the molecules which from biological cells. In an article in Popular Science magazine scientist have taken the first picture of a pentacene molecule (22 carbons atoms, 14 hydrogen atoms). The space between the carbon atoms in the molecule measured .14 nanometers or half a million times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
Yes they are not the same thing. Atoms are much smaller than the biological cells.Typical atom has a diameter of 0.3 nanometers. An animal cell can be 10 micrometers or more in size. You can say, an atom can be 33,000 times smaller than a cell, or even more than that.
An atom is the smallest amount of an element. Elements are pure substances with no contaminants. Although an atom is made of smaller subatomic particles, i.e. Protons,neutrons, and electrons. If an atom is split or any of those particles are removed, it ceases to be that elemental substance. A molecule is the smallest part of any aggregate substance. For instance, splitting water molecules into hydrogen (element) and oxygen (also an element). A cell is made of hundreds of thousands of molecules. RNA, DNA, Rhizomes, the cell wall etc. Are all made up of molecules not atoms. Some molecules are simple like water, others such as biological molecules such as neurotransmitters can be very large structures comparatively. You can see Cells with a normal microscope, but atomic and molecular structures can only be seen with an electron microscope.
