Question

Identify the characteristic features of diatoms.

• A. Cell wall is made of pectin, floating on water and produce auxospores.
• B. Cell wall is made of chitin, fused forms and produce auxospores.
• C. Cell wall is made of silica, floating on water and produce auxospores.
• D. Cell wall is made of silica, symboints and produce zoospores.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Cell wall is made of silica, floating on water and produce auxospores.

Diatoms are unicellular. These are categorized as algae. Filaments or ribbons, fans, zigzags, or stars shaped colonies are formed. It has a unique silica cell wall known as frustule. It consists of two overlapping valves known as thecae which helps in exchange of nutrients. Auxospores are the specialized cells which are produced in the diatoms. This helps the daughter cells to regain its size as which gets reduced due to successive mitotic division.

So, the correct answer is option C.