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 diatoms live in glass houses (frustules), and are often dominant both in the oceans and estuaries (along with dinoflagellates) and in freshwater lakes and streams. On a global scale they have been estimated to produce ~ 50% of all photosynthesis.