Light micrograph of the diatom Coscinodiscus sp. from Cape Town,South Africa. Diatoms are single- celled microscopic algae. A feature of diatoms is their intricately patterned,glass-like cell wall or frustule. This frustule is made of silica and pectin. The wall is always in two halves which fit together like two parts of a pill box. One slightly larger half acts as the lid to the box. Only one half can be seen here from above. This circular(centric) diatom is perfectly symmetrical; another major group of diatoms are elongate. Found in both marine and fresh water environments,and in the soil,diatoms are of great importance to food chains. Magnification: x480 at 6x7cm size | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Burbidge, John |
Taille de l’image : | 3933 px × 5575 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |