Diatoms: Their strange evolution and remarkable properties

Authors

  • Lars Olof Björn
  • Gertrud Cronberg

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14720/abs.52.2.15200

Keywords:

C4 photosynthesis, chloroplasts, diatoms, dynamite, endosymbiosis, nanotechnology, omega-3 fatty acid, silica

Abstract

We review some new literature on diatoms, with emphasis on genomics, evolution, ecology and biomimetic nanotechnical applications. Diatoms account for a substantial part of the photosynthetic production on this planet, and their genome is a mosaic of contributions from different sources. They occupy very diverse ecological niches, and may have been the first organisms to carry out C4 photosynthesis. Their frustrules (silica enclosures) with their elaborate sculpturing make it possible to follow the occurence of different forms back in time, and the frustrules is also the main reason that they are interesting for biotechnology.

References

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Published

01.12.2009

Issue

Vol. 52 No. 2 (2009): Acta Biologica Slovenica

Section

Original Research Paper

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Olof Björn, L., & Cronberg, G. (2009). Diatoms: Their strange evolution and remarkable properties. Acta Biologica Slovenica, 52(2), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.14720/abs.52.2.15200