This article refers to glass seed beads with holes used with thread or wire in beadwork, as opposed to the no-hole beads currently popular  for scrapbooking and similar projects.  Micro seed beads are beads under size 15/o.

A seed bead is a small glass bead, usually 2 mm or less in diameter. Seed bead sizes are designated by X/o, X being the variable  identifier. The higher the number, the smaller the size bead

What exactly does the 11/o or 8/o or 16/o designation mean? While  a system of size measurement, it does NOT seem to relate directly to   the number of beads per inch or cm. The following chart is an  approximation, which does not include all sizes.   It's important to remember that many beads, especially  the antique ones which were made by hand, vary considerably even  within one hank or batch.

 BEAD SIZE   &    Approx. number of beads per inch 

6/o (pony beads)...................11
10/o....................17 
11/o (typical modern bead).......19
12/o......................21
13/o.................23  
14/o (small modern bead)......25
18/o.................40
24/o............50+

 MICRO BEADS  

There is a lot of misinformation about seed bead sizes, and what  exactly comprises a "micro bead." Obviously this is a  matter of personal opinion! This article refers to any size smaller   than those currently being made; i.e., smaller than a 15/o.

Prior to the 1910's, very tiny micro seed beads were manufactured   in Venice. Production of this size and style of tiny bead ceased just  prior to WW I. There are a very limited quanity of modern micro beads  being made today (usually size 20/o - 22/o), but they are quite different in shape and appearance from the antique seed beads. New beads are more tube-shaped, while the antique beads are  generally round.

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