This is but one example of the utilization by animals of the food value of diatoms. The potential for growth can be seen in extensive deposits of diatomaceous earth, hundreds of feet thick, from which a variety of products are made. One of the most extensive uses of diatomaceous earth is that of filtration. The water in the indoor swimming pool at the Hammonds Student Center is filtered through a device that contains the frustules of ancient diatoms. The cell wall, called the frustule, of a diatom is the principal identifying feature.
Taxonomy is based on a variety of characteristics in the appearance of the wall.
The process for this will be illustrated in the laboratory. The Frustule and Cell Division . The frustule of the diatom is unique in the algae. The major component of the frustule is silicon, in a non crystalline state. In fact, silicon is a limiting factor in the dynamics of diatom growth in open waters of lakes.