Diatom

### Aliases

Phytoplankton, Fragilaria, Merdion, Tabelliaria, Asterionella, fans, zigzags, and stars

## Physical description

### Eye color

*Unknown*

**Diatoms** are a major group of algae, and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. Diatoms are unicellular, although they can form colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons (e.g. *Fragilaria*), fans (e.g. *Meridion*), zigzags (e.g. *Tabellaria*), or stars (e.g. *Asterionella*). The first diatom formally described in scientific literature, is the colonial *Bacillaria paradoxa.* Diatoms are producers within the food chain. A unique feature of diatom cells is that they are enclosed within a cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide) called a frustule. These frustules show a wide diversity in form, but are usually almost bilaterally symmetrical, hence the group name. The symmetry is not perfect since one of the valves is slightly larger than the other, allowing one valve to fit inside the edge of the other. Fossil evidence suggests that they originated during, or before, the early Jurassic period. Only male gametes of centric diatoms are capable of movement by means of flagella. Diatom communities are a popular tool for monitoring environmental conditions, past and present, and are commonly used in studies of water quality.

## General biology

There are more than 200 genera of living diatoms, and it is estimated that there are approximately 100,000 extant species. Diatoms are a widespread group and can be found in the oceans, in freshwater, in soils and on damp surfaces. Most live pelagicallyin open water, although some live as surface films at the water-sediment interface (benthic), or even under damp atmospheric conditions. They are especially important in oceans, where they are estimated to contribute up to 45% of the total oceanic primary production of organic material. Spatial distribution of marine phytoplankton species is restricted both horizontally and vertically. Though most are microscopic, some species of diatoms can reach up to 2 millimeters in length.

Several species of fresh-water diatoms

Scanning electron microscope image of the benthic diatom *Surirella spiralis*

Diatoms belong to a large group called the heterokonts, including both autotrophs (*e.g.*, golden algae, kelp) and heterotrophs (*e.g.*,water moulds). Their yellowish-brown chloroplasts are typical of heterokonts, having four membranes and containing pigments such as the carotenoid fucoxanthin. Individuals usually lack flagella, but they are present in male gametes of the centric diatoms and have the usual heterokont structure, except they lack the hairs (mastigonemes) characteristic in other groups. Most diatoms are non-motile, as their relatively dense cell walls cause them to readily sink. Planktonic forms in open water usually rely on turbulent mixing of the upper layers by the wind to keep them suspended in sunlit surface waters. Some species actively regulate their buoyancy with intracellular lipids to counter sinking.

A feature of diatoms is the urea cycle, which links them evolutionarily to animals. This was discovered in research carried out by Andrew Allen, Chris Bowler and colleagues. Their findings, published in 2011, that diatoms have a functioning urea cycle was highly significant, since prior to this, the urea cycle was thought to have originated with the metazoans who appeared several hundreds of millions of years after the diatoms. Their study showed that while diatoms and animals use the urea cycle for different ends, they are seen to be evolutionally linked in such a way that animals and plants are not.

Diatom cells are contained within a unique silica cell wall known as a frustule. This is made up of two valves called thecae, that typically overlap one another.[16] The biogenic silica composing the cell wall is synthesised intracellularly by thepolymerisation of silicic acid monomers. This material is then extruded to the cell exterior and added to the wall. In most species, when a diatom divides to produce two daughter cells, each cell keeps one of the two halves and grows a smaller half within it. As a result, after each division cycle the average size of diatom cells in the population gets smaller. Once such cells reach a certain minimum size, rather than simply divide, they reverse this decline by forming an auxospore. This expands in size to give rise to a much larger cell, which then returns to size-diminishing divisions.  Auxospore production is almost always linked to meiosis and sexual reproduction.

## In Venture

Diatoms are currently known to make up all life in Venture.