Synonyms
Bacillariophyta
Definition
Diatoms (Chromalveolates supergroup, photosynthetic Stramenopiles, Bacillariophyta) are unicellular or colonial eukaryotic algae with unique cell walls composed of amorphous silica and consisting of two parts.
The diatoms (Bacillariophyta) represent an extremely diverse and successful lineage of photosynthetic Stramenopiles (Chromalveolates) with cell walls composed of amorphous silica and consisting of two parts, termed frustules , as their most striking feature. The diatoms are of unicellular organization, but some form colonies. The diatom plastids are derived from red algal secondary symbiosis and are golden brown due to the high concentration of the carotenoid fucoxanthin. Diatoms are exceedingly abundant and thought to be the most important group of eukaryotic phytoplankton, responsible for approximately 40% of marine primary productivity (Falkowski et al., 1998). Their high abundance coupled with the resistance of diatom frustules to...
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Brinkmann, N., Friedl, T., Mohr, K.I. (2011). Diatoms. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_74
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