What is the rigid silica cell wall of diatoms called?

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Multiple Choice

What is the rigid silica cell wall of diatoms called?

Explanation:
You’re being asked to name the rigid silica shell that surrounds diatoms. This protective outer layer is called the frustule. Diatoms have a unique two-part silica shell that fits together like a lid and a container, giving them a strong yet light protective coat. The frustule is characteristic of diatoms and is even preserved as diatomaceous earth in fossils. The other terms refer to structures or life stages that aren’t the diatom’s shell: a gas bladder helps with buoyancy in some algae but is not a cell wall; a holdfast anchors an organism to a surface; meroplankton describes organisms that are planktonic only during part of their life cycle. So the frustule is the best answer.

You’re being asked to name the rigid silica shell that surrounds diatoms. This protective outer layer is called the frustule. Diatoms have a unique two-part silica shell that fits together like a lid and a container, giving them a strong yet light protective coat. The frustule is characteristic of diatoms and is even preserved as diatomaceous earth in fossils.

The other terms refer to structures or life stages that aren’t the diatom’s shell: a gas bladder helps with buoyancy in some algae but is not a cell wall; a holdfast anchors an organism to a surface; meroplankton describes organisms that are planktonic only during part of their life cycle. So the frustule is the best answer.

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