Micrometre

The micrometre (micrometer in US spelling; symbol: μm) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI) equalling 10 metre (SI standard prefix "micro-" = 10); that is, one millionth of a metre (or one thousandth of a millimetre, 0.001 mm, or about 0.00004inch). It is also known as the micron.

The nearest smaller common SI unit is the nanometre, equivalent to one thousandth of a micrometre, one millionth of a millimetre or one billionth of a metre (10 or 0.000000001 m).

The micrometre is a common unit of measurement for wavelengths of infrared radiation as well as sizes of biological cells and bacteria, and for grading wool by the diameter of the fibres. The width of a single human hair ranges from approximately 20 to 200 μm.