Their major role in primary productivity makes diatoms important in the global carbon cycle and in aquatic food chains; Diatomacous earth is widely used in commerce Algae - Algae - Ecological and commercial importance: Algae form organic food molecules from carbon dioxide and water through the process of photosynthesis, in which they capture energy from sunlight. Diatoms are also useful in forensic studies. The study of diatom is included as a part of phycology. The species of diatom found in a deposit is dependant upon the age and paleo-environment of the deposit. If a victim has breathed in water, diatoms can enter their blood stream, bone marrow, brain, lungs and kidneys. Journal History This article was published in the Botanical Gazette (1876-1991), which is continued by International Journal of Plant Sciences (1992-present). Diatoms Images. As the typical features of ante-mortem drowning disappeared very rapidly with commencement of putrefaction and hence diatom test plays an important role for diagnosis and confirmation of drowning deaths. They are commonly known as Diatoms. Diatom test is an important tool in diagnosis death in drowning cases. These tiny organisms have been around for billions of years and play major roles in chemical and biological processes. Description of Diatoms: It is a large group of algae consisting of 200 genera and over 10,000 species, out of which 92 genera and about 569 species are reported from India. 2. Although there are periods when one diatom species has dominated the other, over the period as a whole, the two diatoms appear to be in a stable coexistence. Sometimes diatom shells in seafloor sediment can over time become diatomaceous earth. The organic casing is a key component of the cell wall, preventing silica dissolution in seawater ( … The diatom cell wall is composed of two silica-containing halves each consisting of a valve connected to a series of overlapping girdle bands and coated by an organic matrix (Round et al., 1990). This diatom retains it eukaryotic nucleus, and little is known about the degree of genetic interdependence between the endosymbiont and host. If a person has drowned then diatoms are able to enter the human body. Economic importance. Some ancient diatomaceous earth deposits that were once seafloor sediment are today dry land. Diatom plays an important in the ocean ecosystem because the production of 45 percent of organic materials is at the hand of diatoms. The importance of diatoms must not be overlooked. The diatoms are the most beautiful microscopic algae due to their structure and sculpturing of their walls. The diatomist is the phycologists who specialize to study diatom. 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