Diatoms and blue-green algae Science Image

Ref: 00976f



Diatoms & blue-green algae. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of groups of Navicula sp. diatoms amoungst strands of Oscillatoria, a blue-green algae. Diatoms are single celled algae that exist in huge numbers in marine and freshwater environments. Each diatom has an intricately patterned cell wall, or frustule, made of silica and pectin. The wall is in two halves which fit neatly together. They are a major constituent of plankton. As such, they are of great importance to the food chains in their environment. Blue-green algae or cyanobacteria are linear colonies of single-celled organisms. Magnification: x610 at 6x7cm size.