- Algae (Rhodophycota, Euglenophycota, Chromophycota, Chlorophycota)
Silva, Paul C. Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley, California.
Moe, Richard L. Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley, California.
- Links to Primary Literature
- Additional Readings
A class of nonflagellate unicellular algae, commonly called diatoms, with boxlike silicified walls. Diatoms range in maximum dimension from 4 micrometers to more than 1 millimeter. The diatom wall or frustule (Fig. 1) comprises several interlocking, usually elaborately sculptured, lightly or heavily silicified pieces overlying a thin polysaccharide layer. The two largest pieces are the upper and lower valves, which fit together like the top and bottom of a petri dish or shoe box. Between the valves (along the side or girdle of the cell), several smaller pieces—hooplike girdle bands—are intercalated. Depending upon which dimension is larger, breadth or depth, a diatom tends to lie on the valve side or on the girdle side.
The content above is only an excerpt.
for your institution. Subscribe
To learn more about subscribing to AccessScience, or to request a no-risk trial of this award-winning scientific reference for your institution, fill in your information and a member of our Sales Team will contact you as soon as possible.
to your librarian. Recommend
Let your librarian know about the award-winning gateway to the most trustworthy and accurate scientific information.
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Its dedicated editorial team is led by Sagan Award winner John Rennie. Contributors include more than 9000 highly qualified scientists and 39 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8500 articles and Research Reviews covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 17,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information