2007-12-11 13:24:33 · 5 answers · asked by GHULAB D 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
No, a diatom is not a plant cell. It is a microscopic algae. A diatoms cells do have chloroplasts for performing photosynthesis. Diatoms are unicellular organisms. It says here that they have yellowish-brown chloroplasts in that one cell. Question is: is that one cell a plant cell? A typical eukaryotic cell.
2007-12-11 13:28:38 · answer #1 · answered by Professor Armitage 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No and yes. A diatom is a kind of algae. It's a single celled organism that uses photosynthesis.
2007-12-11 21:29:22 · answer #2 · answered by Moral Orel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A diatom is a photosynthetic protist with a chloroplast.
2007-12-12 00:09:20 · answer #3 · answered by ScSpec 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A diatom is a protist, not a plant cell. But it has cholorophyll just like plants and can make their own food. It belongs to eukaryotic algae.
2007-12-11 21:41:27 · answer #4 · answered by 2BSBio 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Also, diatoms have frustules which are shells made out of silicon dioxide (opal) which provides structure.
2007-12-11 21:38:13 · answer #5 · answered by cranberi58 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋