Bacillariophyta -- diatoms
IntroductionCells
only one tinsel flagellumuse fat as reserve material
siliceous cell wall = frustule
frustule = 2 valves + girdle bandsepivalve & hypovalve
Taxonomy
Pennales ("pennates")bilateral symmetrymay have raphe
2 big chloroplasts
Centrales ("centrics")
radial symmetryno raphe
central vacuole w/ many small discoid chloroplasts
Life cycle -- diplontic
cued by decrease in cell sizeCentrics -- oogamous w/ flagellated spermPennates -- isogamous
zygote forms auxospore
Ecology
marineimportanceproblems
endosymbioses
freshwater
planktonicperiphytic
Fossil diatoms
diatomaceous earth: of economic importancepaleontological studies -- past climate and lake status
click here to go to Bacillariophyta vocabulary
on to the next topic -- brown algae
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