Essay On Diatom

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Diatoms are a unicellular phytoplankton that survives by floating in the ocean and are in the class Bacillariophyta. Diatoms are even the most common type of life in the ocean. This organism is similar to plants because of the photosynthetic qualities they posses. Diatoms use photosynthesis to absorb light, yet the pigment they possess is brown. Such aspects relate diatoms to brown algae. For this reason, scientists typically place them in the plant kingdom but others state today they are in the kingdom Protista. They are not restricted to aquatic environments, such organisms can be found all over the world even terrestrially in soil. It is estimated there are between 5,000 to 10,000 species of diatoms (Miklasv, 2010).
Diatoms have a unique characteristic. They live in an outer cell wall, or a frustrule made of silica. This frustrule is not just for the physical appearance, it provides protection and even structure. On the cell wall, there are spikes, spines and pores which allow diatoms to be classified into different classes, the centric (Centrobacillariophyceae) and the pennate (...

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