Cymbella. Light micrograph of the rod-shaped (pennate) diatom Cymbella sp. Its cell wall is intricately sculpted with pores and longitudinal grooves.
Cymbella. Light micrograph of the rod-shaped (pennate) diatom Cymbella sp. Its cell wall is intricately sculpted with pores and longitudinal grooves. Diatoms are single-celled algae that exist in huge numbers in marine and freshwater environments. They account for a large proportion of the microscopic plankton that forms the basis of marine food chains. Their ornate, silica-rich cell walls consist of two overlapping valves called frustules, which clip together like the lid and body of a pillbox. These persist long after diatoms die, forming sedimentary deposits of chalk. Magnification: x85 at 35mm size.
Size: 5247px × 3543px
Photo credit: © ASTRID & HANNS-FRIEDER MICHLER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: alga, algae, algal, botany, cymbella, diatom, diatoms, light, micrograph, nature, pennate, phytoplankton, plankton, plant, shape, sp., type
