Diatoms: Interesting facts

Diatoms are tiny single-celled organisms that form the diatomaceous earth. It was first discovered in 1702 by Anton van Leeuwenhoek, and for hundreds of years, these microscopic creatures have been studied and analyzed. Richard B. Hoover contributed to this research on traveling around the world, studying diatoms and collecting new species. National Geographic released a 1979 release of exciting discoveries about these extraordinary organisms.

Below are some of the most exciting and interesting findings about diatoms:

  • During the study of the diatome collection of paper-dried 1834, Richard B. Hoover was astonished that after a slide was given to water, the diatomas revived and swam … almost 150 years!
  • More than twenty-five thousand types of diatomas have been discovered, none of which contain the same shell.
  • Most water bodies have a large number of diatomas around the world. In fact, only one liter of seawater can contain tens of millions of diatomas!
  • Most diatomas exist in cold oceans
  • Diatoms can enjoy light, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients everywhere. In some cases, diatomas can also be used in water – they can live in humid conditions or cling to mosses, tree trunks and even brick walls.
  • Diatomas are very flexible and can withstand long droughts
  • The size of diatomas varies greatly, the maximum measurement is only one millimeter.
  • Cape Cod, known as the Hantzschia virgata, is buried in the sand when the tide comes in. After the tide is extinct, the diatomas sink to the surface for sunbathing. Their timing is impeccable, since they know exactly when they are buried in the sand and retire for a few moments before returning with the tide. In fact, it was discovered that even after these diatoms were kept in a laboratory for weeks, their timing remained constant. They continued to enter the sand with the utmost precision that they could use their actions to predict the tide!
  • Diatoms are impressive shell builders. The dissolved silicon is converted to silica, which is almost the same as the opal of the gem.
  • Diatomas disperse enormous amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere
  • A huge number of diatoms die and sink at the bottom of the river, the lake and the ocean. In some areas the seabed can be covered in such deep layers as 300 meters. Many years, these layers of dead diatomas are fossil and rich sites of diatomaceous earth or diatomite

Source by Melissa HJ

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