News Headline
Looking through 'living glass', researchers discover a new genus of diatoms from India and China
Source
Research Matters
Publication Date
2019-10-23
Diatoms are single-celled algae that occur either solitarily or in colonies of millions, where there is moisture. However, what distinguishes these microscopic creatures from the rest of the algal groups is their enshrining and tortuous cell-wall or 'frustule', which is made up of silica. In other words, each diatom lives in a uniquely shaped house of glass! This feature has intrigued scientists for generations, leading to the recognition of about 250 genera and over 100,000 species of diatoms till date.