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3D Diatoms |
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by Wim van Egmond |
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| Diatoms
are microscopic algae. Some of the colonial types have
strange three dimensional shapes. The diatom pictured on
this page is of the genus Guinardia. This
diatom, found floating in marine plankton, forms a
delicate spiral. It is not easy to watch the colony under
the microscope since the chain of individuals breaks
easily when handled. Each spring the diatoms bloom in the ocean. The water colours yellow-brown because of the enormous quantities of the phytoplankton. The background image shows such a bloom containing spiraling forms. |
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| Diatoms
are magnificent lifeforms to study under the microscope.
More can be read about them on 'the smallest page on the
web' in the article about diatoms. A variety of microscopic organisms from the sea can be found in the Virtual ocean |
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The next page shows More 3D diatoms. Licmophora, a fanshaped sessile colony. |
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