Question

Diatomaceous earth is the deposition of cell walls in their habitat by Diatoms. This process takes around

• A. Millions of years
• B. Thousands of years
• C. Billions of years
• D. Trillions of years

Answer 1

The correct option is C Billions of years

Diatoms

Diatoms are the group of organisms that belong to the group Chrysophyte Protists. They live in both freshwater and marine water. They float on the surface of the water and are photoautotrophic.

Diatomaceous earth

Diatoms have two cell walls that are thin and overlap with each other like shells.
The walls have stuffed silica in them which makes it difficult to destroy them.
Diatoms leave behind the silicious cell wall deposits in their surroundings which accumulate for billion years to form diatomaceous earth.
It is gritty in nature and can be used in the polishers and in the process of filtration of the oils and syrups.