10 Facts about Diatoms

Get the information about a major group of algae by reading Facts about Diatoms. They are unicellular and are considered as the most prevalent kinds of phytoplankton. There are various shapes of colonies that diatoms form. Asterionella has the star shaped colony. The zigzag shaped colony is formed by Tabellaria. Meridion and Fragilaria have the fan like and ribbon like colony respectively. Here are other interesting facts about diatom to notice:

Facts about Diatoms 1: the colonial Bacillaria paradoxa

The colonial Bacillaria paradoxa was considered as the first diatom described formally in 1783. Friedrich Müller was the Danish naturalist who created the description of the colony in scientific literature.

Facts about Diatoms 2: the role of diatom in the food chain

What is the role of diatom in the food chain? It serves as the producer. Find facts about desert plants here.

Diatom Images

Facts about Diatoms 3: the diatom cells

The term frustule is used to call a cell wall made of hydrated silicon dioxide or silica which encloses the diatom cells.

Facts about Diatoms 4: the usual shape of frustules

In most cases, the shape of frustules is bilaterally symmetrical. But it can be varied in shapes. Find facts about daisies here.

Diatom Pictures

Facts about Diatoms 5: the male gametes

The movement ability is only owned by the male gametes. They use the flagella to move.

Facts about Diatoms 6: the importance of diatom

Diatom is important for studying the quality of water in the environment. Moreover, the people can check the condition of the environment in the present and past days by using diatom communities.

Diatom

Facts about Diatoms 7: the number of species and genera

It is estimated that diatom has around 10,000 extant species. The living diatoms are included in more than 200 genera.

Facts about Diatoms 8: where to find diatoms?

The diatoms can be found in various places such as the damp surfaces, soils, freshwater and oceans. Diatom plays an important in the ocean ecosystem because the production of 45 percent of organic materials is at the hand of diatoms.

Diatoms Images

Facts about Diatoms 9: studying diatoms

The diatomist is the phycologists who specialize to study diatom. The study of diatom is included as a part of phycology. Diatom has the prevalent organelles such as Golgi complex, mitochondria and nucleus because it is included as a eukaryotic organism.

Facts about Diatoms 10: the size of diatom

The size of diatom is around 2 until 200µm. The cell walls are porous, but they are hard and intricate.

Facts about Diatoms

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