Diatoms

Kingdom: Protista
Division:Chrysophyta
Class: Bacillariophyceae
(Unicellular algae)

It has two valves

composed of silica
(SiO2) with average
size 10 to 100 µm in
length.

Images for diatoms

 Introduction
Diatoms are one of the most important and abundant
components of marine phytoplankton with two valves
(frustules) composed mainly of of silica (SiO2).

Very important for palaeoclimatic reconstruction

(environmental conditions), marine biology and ecology,
and industry.

Inhabit all aquatic environments. They occur in the body of

the water as plankton or on the bottom where they may be
attached to plants or rocks or sand particles, or may be free
living and able to move between particles of the
substratum. In the open ocean, they live only in upper 200
m of the surface water.
 LIVING DIATOM
They occur living in a single cell or colonial attached together
by gelatinous filaments. When observed as larger and larger
masses, the color takes on a darker color, often deep brown or
black. Each cell possesses yellow, olive or golden-brown
photosynthetic granules, a central vacuole and a nucleus,
although it lacks flagella and pseudopodia.

Colony of pennate diatoms Diatoms colonies, long chains

(Asterionella sp.)
Cell contents of living diatom:
• Protoplasm: occurs within the silicified frustule,
containing a nucleus, mitochondria, plastids, and other
various organelles.
• Cytoplasm: a colorless plasma on the inner side of the
frustule and cell wall.
• Nucleus: it is at the center of the diatom. It is often
spherical or lenticular and encloses the chromosomes and
nucleoli.
• Plastids: they are organelles similar to chlorophyll in their
photosynthetic abilities.
• Volutin: Volutin molecules are nitrogen reserves.
• Oil Drops: they are actually sugar and starch in globular
form. They are located in the cytoplasm.
 Structure and morphology of a diatom
Diatom frustule is similar to pillbox or a petri dish. It has two
interlocking halves , one larger than the other (called "epitheca"
and "hypotheca", respectively). It can vary greatly in shape,
ranging from box-shaped to cylindrical, symmetrical as well as
asymmetrical.
Diatom frustule consists of:
1. Epitheca: Larger = older valve of the frustule with the
girdle elements (epicingulum) connected with it.
2. Hypotheca: Smaller = younger valve of the frustule with
the girdle elements (hypocingulum) connected with it.
3. Connective Zone: This zone is composed of the overlapping
girdle elements of the diatom (the epicingulum and
hypocingulum). It acts to connect the valves, forming
sutures that still allow the two valves to move apart or
towards one another.
4. Septa: Partitions that are formed within the valves. It can
be used to characterize diatoms.
5. Raphe: occurs in pennate diatoms as an elongated fissure in
a valve. The raphe is used by diatom for movement. It is
important for identification.
Raphes in the Pennate diatoms
 DIATOM SYMMETRY (PLANES)

1. Bilaterally symmetrical around

the apical and transapical axes
(Fig. 3, Fig. 4A).
2. Bilaterally symmetrical, around
the transapical (Fig. 4B) or the
apical (Fig. 4C) axis.
3. Rotational symmetry occurs in
some bipolar genera that have no
planes of symmetry (Fig. 4D).
4. Circular symmetry occurs in
large group of genera (Fig. 4E).
 DIATOM ORNAMENTATION
Ornamentation is important for diatom identification.
Valve surface is usually covered with striations, pores,
spines, punctations or raphes (an elongated fissure
through the valve wall, involved in cell motility).

Centric diatoms: a) Melosira, b) Coscinodiscus, c)

Some ornamented diatoms Actinoptychus and Thalassiosira.
 TAXONOMY
Diatoms divided into two main orders:

1. Order Centrales 2. Order Pennales

(centric diatoms)
- Radially symmetric
- dominate marine planktonic
communities
- Example, Genus: Melosira
(pennate diatoms)
- bilaterally symmetric
- benthic marine and fresh
water communities
- Example, Genus: Pinnularia
- Members of both classes may be, in general, found
in either fresh or salt water, though centrate forms
tend to predominate in marine habitats, while
pennate diatoms are more typical of freshwater
environments.

- The Pennate diatoms are a monophyletic group

derived from centric diatoms. Pennate diatoms
have long been viewed as a derived group, and
molecular studies agree with this interpretation.
Centric diatoms appear in the fossil record about
120 ma, while pennate diatoms do not appear until
about 70 ma.
 GROWTH & REPRODUCTION
Diatom life-cycle

Asexual phase Sexual phase

 Cell divides into two copies of
itself, one of which is the same
size as the mother cell, the other
of which is slightly smaller.
 Gradual reduction in size occurs
 Life-cycle continues from one to
several years.
 Enters the sexual phase for
 Diatom forms gametes (auxospore)
that fuse to become a specialized
cell which swells to the maximum
(original) size for the species.
 Then divides asexually and
initiates the asexual phase of the
life-cycle again.

original size preservation or by a

trigger from the environment.
 Do these changes in the life cycle in a diatom (one species),
impose changes in the size of valves?
 Do these changes in the size of valves of a diatom, make it
difficult to recognize the species?
 Whatever occur in the sizes of the valves of diatoms, each
species is unique and can be recognized on the basis of its
valves alone.

 Note: reduction in the diatom-

size during the life-cycle
(asexual phase). Length
reduces faster than width
 Diatom distribution and Ecology
1. Diatoms constitute a major component of the marine (open sea)
phytoplankton, living only in the upper 200 m of the surface water.
2. Autotrophic and form the basis of food chains in many aqueous
ecosystem.

Distribution of diatoms frustules in the surface

sediments of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, in
millions per gram of sediments, from Brasier
(1980). Antarctic
3. Inhabit all aquatic environments. They occur in the body of the water
as plankton or on the bottom where they may be attached to plants or
rocks or sand particles, or may be free living and able to move between
particles of the substratum.
4. In general, members of both classes (Centric and Pennate) may be
found in either fresh or salt water, though Centric forms tend to
predominate in marine habitats, while Pennate diatoms are more
typical of freshwater environments.
5. Can achieve very high cell densities in nature. In the same time, cell
density can be decreased by reducing the concentration of heavy ions
(K+, Na+, Cl-).
6. To maintain bouyancy, many species have elaborate spines that
increase the cell's effective surface area, and consequently decrease the
settling rate. The spines promote turbulence, thus reducing the width of
the boundary layer, and promoting nutrient exchange.
 Diatoms and dissolution
Diatoms are so resistant to
dissolution than any other
shells.
High deposition of
diatoms forms
DIATOMITE beds in the
geologic history.
GEOLOGIC RECORD AND EVOLUTION
Centrate diatoms started first in Lower Cretaceous, then
pinnate diatom evolved to dominate only at the beginning of
Miocene age.
The oldest certain fossil diatoms are Lower Cretaceous in age.
Diatoms probably had a much longer history than this; there
are reports of Precambrian and Triassic fossils that might be
diatoms or diatom relatives. However, definite fossil diatoms
older than the Cretaceous are not known. An older report of
diatoms from the Upper Jurassic is now doubted by experts,
since silica recrystallizes under pressure. So, any older diatom
fossils may have been destroyed.

Most diatom fossils known are from Eocene and Miocene

rocks, such as the marine diatoms rich by Actinoptychus
heliopelta and Sceptroneis caduceus.
Actinoptychus heliopelta

Sceptroneis caduceus
At areas of seasonal changes (lakes and oceans), diatom
deposits occur in layers which correspond to annual cycles,
which can be used to observe changes over many years,
providing information about past climatic changes.
 APPLICATIONS AND
IMPORTANCE OF DIATOMS
1. About 20 to 25% of all organic carbon fixation on the planet
(transformation of carbon dioxide and water into sugars,
using light energy) is carried out by diatoms.
2. Diatoms cover a vast area of oceans, so they are major
players in the global carbon balance.
3. Important in fresh water primary productivity, although
they have more competition in the freshwater environment.
4. Diatoms contain chlorophyll, thus they are a major source of
atmospheric oxygen.
5. Form the basis of food chains for zooplankton in any a
aqueous ecosystem.
6. Diatomacous rocks are widely used in commerce as:
cleansers, paints, filtering agents, abrasives and many
toothpastes.
7. Because each species of diatoms tends to have distinct
requirements for temperature, salinity, acidity, oxygen,
mineral concentration and disturbances, they are
frequently used to evaluate the river health (water and
habitat quality).

8. See rest of the applications in Brasier, 1980.