diatom
noun
di·a·tom
ˈdī-ə-ˌtäm 
: any of a class (Bacillariophyceae) of minute planktonic unicellular or colonial algae with silicified skeletons that form diatomaceous earth
Examples of diatom in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dinoflagellates and diatoms are the two main types of phytoplankton classes, according to the National Ocean Service.
—
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Their observations supported the endosymbiotic theory of how the diatoms acquired the extra membrane around their chloroplasts.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2023
Yee found that the same proton pump also helps diatoms make their tough silica shell.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2023
The team will expand their research to imaging other fossil deposits to discover whether the diatom mats are also linked to preservation more broadly.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2022
The evidence, the two men said in the article, was clear: industrialized humanity had changed the composition of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans and had modified the landscape and biosphere—including diatom populations.
—Jan Zalasiewicz, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
Streams less influenced by glaciers have more diverse communities with more green algae and cyanobacteria, but with fewer cold-tolerant diatoms.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023
Antarctic diatom viewed under the microscope.
—Citizen Science Salon, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2019
Goff and other researchers also look for microscopic marine organisms like diatoms and foraminifera, ancient DNA from marine life, changes to geochemistry, and, as in the Atacama, unexpected boulders.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2023
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Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
Their observations supported the endosymbiotic theory of how the diatoms acquired the extra membrane around their chloroplasts.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2023
Yee found that the same proton pump also helps diatoms make their tough silica shell.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2023
The team will expand their research to imaging other fossil deposits to discover whether the diatom mats are also linked to preservation more broadly.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2022
The evidence, the two men said in the article, was clear: industrialized humanity had changed the composition of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans and had modified the landscape and biosphere—including diatom populations.
—Jan Zalasiewicz, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
Streams less influenced by glaciers have more diverse communities with more green algae and cyanobacteria, but with fewer cold-tolerant diatoms.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2023
Antarctic diatom viewed under the microscope.
—Citizen Science Salon, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2019
Goff and other researchers also look for microscopic marine organisms like diatoms and foraminifera, ancient DNA from marine life, changes to geochemistry, and, as in the Atacama, unexpected boulders.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2023
See More
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Cite this Entry
“Diatom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diatom. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
diatom
noun
di·a·tom
ˈdī-ə-ˌtäm
: any of a class of minute floating single-celled or colonial algae that are common in fresh and salt water and have a cell wall of silica that remains as a skeleton after death
diatomaceous
adjective
ˌdī-ət-ə-ˈmā-shəs
Medical Definition
diatom
noun
di·a·tom
ˈdī-ə-ˌtäm
: any of a class (Bacillariophyceae) of minute planktonic unicellular or colonial algae with silicified skeletons that form diatomite
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