|
Specimen
055
Close-up views of the diatom Navicula, where you can see the various structures of the cell. At its tips are the terminal vacuoles that hold tiny vibrating crystals of barium sulfate. In the central nodule is the nucleus of the cell. The hard and porous cell wall or external layer of the diatom is called the frustule and underneath that is the chloroplast. Those large globules in the middle are the pyrenoids which generate and maintain a CO2 rich environment and accelerate photosynthesis. The slit in the middle is called the raphe, which allows the diatom cell to move over surfaces. Liquid droplets can be found at various parts of the cell. |