Diatomes /Bacillariophyta

 

Diatomes is a large group within algae and are among the most common types og phytoplankton. Most diatomes are sensitive sigle-cellular organisms, but somethimes occur in clusters shaped like stars or siksak. Diatomes have yellow-brown chloroplast that allows the to photosynthesis. There color can vary, yellow green, amber og brown. What is extraordinary about the Diatomes is that they are packaged into the cell wall made out og silica, as they were in glasshouse.There have been about 10 thousand species describes and half of them valid, which are divided into 200 genera and the majority grows in fresh water. Few organism have been investigated as thorougly as Diatoms. In Iceland have been descovered around 770 species.