âI think weâve read every single book they have.â Mark chuckled. He still wasnât ready to put the children downâWill was hanging off of one hip, his hand on Markâs shoulder as he stoically looked down at Bridget, and Mabel had nuzzled into the crook of Markâs neck with a contented sigh.
Diatoms are producers within the food chain. A unique feature of diatom cells is that they are enclosed within a cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide) called a frustule. These frustules show a wide diversity in form, but are usually almost bilaterally symmetrical, hence the group name.
The high production of lipids in many diatom species has created great interest in diatoms as a source of biofuels. Indeed, as one of the important global sources of carbon fixation, diatoms already are an important biofuel for aquatic food webs. It is estimated that the photosynthetic activity of diatoms produces between 20 and 40% of the earthâs oxygen (0 2).