To figure out the main factor of PM2.5 toxicity to cell, this study compared the cell toxicity of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe), a model organism, exposed to inert ultrafine SiO2 particles, a model particle, and airborne PM2.5 collected from campus of Peking University Beijing China. Using ultraviolet spectrophotometry to measure cell proliferation ratio, and environmental scanning microscope to observe the particle adhesion on the cell surface, and detecting cellular ROS generation with DHE fluorescent dye chromogenic method, and using single cell gel electrophoresis to test cell DNA damage, the experiment results indicated that the ultrafine SiO2 particles (< 60 nm) could inhibit the cell proliferation of S. pombe, mainly through adsorbing onto the cell surface to change the permeability of the cell wall; but it could not induce cells to generate ROS to cause the oxidative damage. PM2.5, the average particle size of which was larger than that of SiO2 particles, could cause oxidative damages to cells mainly by inducing cells to generate ROS, and damage DNA simultaneously. It might illustrate that there was no direct relationship between the toxicity of PM2.5 and its physical properties such as the particle size.