Diatoms - Encyclopedia. com Diatoms Algae are a very diverse group of simple, nucleated, plant-like aquatic organisms that are primary producers Primary producers are able to utilize photosynthesis to create organic molecules from sunlight, water , and carbon dioxide Ecologically vital, algae account for roughly half of photosynthetic production of organic material on earth in both freshwater and marine environments
Bacillariophyta - Encyclopedia. com Bacillariophyta A phylum of algae comprising the diatoms These marine or freshwater unicellular organisms have cell walls (frustules) composed of pectin impregnated with silica and consisting of two halves, one overlapping the other Diatoms are found in huge numbers in plankton and are important in the food chains of seas and rivers
Chrysophyta - Encyclopedia. com Chrysophyta (krəsŏf´ətə), phylum (division) of unicellular marine or freshwater organisms of the kingdom Protista [1] consisting of the diatoms [2] (class Bacillariophyceae), the golden, or golden-brown, algae (class Chrysophyceae), and the yellow-green algae [3] (class Xanthophyceae)
Bacillariophyceae | Encyclopedia. com Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) Class of unicellular algae, usually occurring singly, but may be colonial or filamentous Cell size ranges from 5 to 2000 μm Source for information on Bacillariophyceae: A Dictionary of Earth Sciences dictionary
Algae - Encyclopedia. com Diatoms are also the most abundant algae in the open ocean and responsible for about one-quarter of all the oxygen gas produced on the earth each year Diatom populations often bloom in lakes in the spring, providing a major food for zooplankton, forming the base of the aquatic food chain There are over one hundred thousand species of diatoms
diatomaceous earth - Encyclopedia. com diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) A deposit composed of fossil diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), which is mined for many industrial uses: as a mild abrasive in metal polishes, as a filtering medium (e g in sugar refineries), for insulation of boilers and blast furnaces, etc , and under the name ‘kieselguhr’ as a vehicle for explosives Vast deposits of diatomaceous earth (called ‘ diatomite
Diatom | Encyclopedia. com diatom A microscopic alga, belonging to the division Bacillariophyta, in which the cell wall (frustule) is composed of silica and consists of two halves, one of which overlaps the other like the lid of a box Frustules are often delicately ornamented Most diatoms are unicellular, but some are colonial or filamentous Most are photosynthetic, but some species lack chlorophyll and live
Dinoflagellata | Encyclopedia. com dinoflagellates A division (Dinoflagellata) of protists that are heterotrophs but closely allied to brown algae and diatoms (they are sometimes classified as algae) Many have brown or yellow chromoplasts containing xanthophyll and chlorophylls a and c; others are colourless Typically, dinoflagellates have two flagella, one propelling water to the rear and providing forward motion, attached
Amphipoda (Amphipods) - Encyclopedia. com They are omnivores feeding on diatoms, detritus, protozoans, smaller amphipods, crustacean larvae, and other tiny attached or floating food items reproductive biology Fertilized eggs are kept within a brood pouch made by broad, leaf-like thoracic appendages Development is direct in that the newly hatched juveniles look very much like their
Aquatic Ecosystems - Encyclopedia. com Others remain attached to submerged surfaces One gallon of water may contain millions of diatoms; their abundance makes them important food sources in aquatic ecosystems When diatoms die, their cell walls are left behind and sink to the bottom of bodies of water