Triceratium fractum - favus, darkfield photomicrograph. Triceratium is a diatom monitored among toxic algae blooms.
Diatoms generally range in size from 2 to 200μm and are composed of a cell wall composed primarily of silica. This siliceous wall can be highly patterned with a variety of pores, ribs, minute spines, marginal ridges and elevations; all of which can be used to delineate genera and species. The cell itself consists of two halves, each containing an essentially flat plate, or valve and marginal connecting, or girdle band. One half, the hypotheca, is slightly smaller than the other half, the epitheca. Diatom morphology varies. Although the shape of the cell is typically circular, some cells may be triangular, square, or elliptical. Cells are solitary or united into colonies of various kinds, which may be linked by siliceous structures; mucilage pads, stalks or tubes; amorphous masses of mucilage, or by threads of chitin, (polysaccharide) which are secreted through strutted processes of the cell. Major pigments of diatoms are chlorophylls a and c, beta-carotene, fucoxanthin, diatoxanthin and diadinoxanthin. Diatoms are mainly photosynthetic. A few, however, are obligate heterotrophs, while others can live heterotrophically in the absence of light, provided an appropriate organic carbon source is available. Storage products are chrysolaminarin and lipids
Size: 4320px × 3008px
Photo credit: © Scenics & Science / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, algae, biodiversity, blooms., darkfield, diatom, favus, fractum, marine, micrograph, microscope, monitored, monitoring, network, noaa, photomicrograph., photosynthesis, phytoplankton, quality, toxic, triceratium, water
