Diatom. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Actinoptychus seductilis diatom. Diatoms are single-celled photosynthetic algae, of which th

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Diatom. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Actinoptychus seductilis diatom. Diatoms are single-celled photosynthetic algae, of which there are about 100,000 species. They have mineralised cell walls (frustules) that contain silica and provide protection and support. The diatoms form an important part of the plankton at the base of the marine and freshwater food chains.

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Size: 3600px × 3368px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: actinoptychus, alga, algae, algal, aquatic, biological, biology, botanical, botany, cell, circle, circular, coloured, cut, cut-, cutout, diatom, eukaryotic, false-colour, false-coloured, flora, freshwater, frustule, heterokont, heterokontophyta, marine, microbiological, microbiology, mineralised, nature, photosynthetic, phytoplankton, plankton, planktonic, protection, protective, protist, protista, seductilis, sem, single, single-celled, specialised, stramenopiles, support, supportive, unicellular, wall