BIOLOGY PROJECT

ABSTRACT
In the second chapter
of our textbook
Biological
Classification , there
is a small topic about
the unicellular
microalgae called
diatoms. Little did I
know this
microscopic organism
that has merely more
than a paragraph
dedicated to it in our
textbook has a whole
team of researches
and thousands of
BIOMINERALIZATION IN research papers on it.

DIATOMS. Meenakshi R Kumar

Biology project, 2021-22

-Meenakshi R Kumar [COMPILED]

 BIOLOGY PROJECT
Name:- Meenakshi R Kumar
Class:- XI A
Roll Number :- 11114
School:- KV MEG & Centre , Ulsoor
Teacher :-Mrs. Lili Kheti
Topic :-

BIOMI
NERAL
IZATIO
N IN
DIATO
MS
CONTENTS:-

Introduction………………………………………..3

Economic importance of diatoms…………………..4

Process of biomineralization……………………….6

Brief elucidation on COSCIDISCUS………………7

Thalassiosira psuedonana……………………...…...8

Basic mechanism and frustule definition…………...9

Resources/Citation………………………………..10
 BIOMINERALIZATION IN DIATOMS
In the second chapter of our textbook Biological Classification , there is a small
topic about the unicellular microalgae called diatoms, in which they discuss
and explain briefly about the biological composition of the organism as an
example of one of the species that come under Chrysophytes ,that in turn
come under the kingdom Protista .
Little did I know this microscopic organism that has merely more than a
paragraph dedicated to it in our textbook has a whole team of researches and
thousands of research papers on it.
Mainly on its process of biomineralization, that is the formation of silicon.
In this brief research topic , I have tried to compile the information into one
banner under , the same topic given above ,it is one of the most extensive and
far reaching topics that have troubled and fascinated biologists for a long
time.
What are diatoms? According to our textbook:-
1. They are unicellular microalgae
2. They are found in both in fresh water and marine environment
3. Most of them are photosynthetic
4. They float passively water currents {planktons}
5. They have two overlapping thin cell walls that fit into each other like a
soap box
6. The walls are embedded with silica ,and hence are indestructible
7. This degeneration of the silica in their cell wall lead to something that is
called “diatomaceous earth”.
A more scientific and profound definition would be as follows :-

Diatoms are photosynthesising algae, they have a siliceous skeleton

(frustule) and are found in almost every aquatic environment
including fresh and marine waters, soils, in fact almost anywhere
moist. ... Diatoms are formally classified as belonging to the Division
Chrysophyta, Class Bacillariophyceae.
 Understanding the molecular mechanism by which a single cell executes the
morphogenetic program for the formation of inorganic material
[biomineralization] is a fascinating and deeply thought provoking [in the
scientific way] biological topic/problem.
What is their economic/ environmental importance?
(a) Diatoms are an important source of food to aquatic animals.
(b) Diatom deposits are often accompanied by petroleum fields.
(c) Diatomite is porous and chemically inert ,therefore used in filtration of sugar,
alcohols and antibiotics.
(d) It is also employed as a cleansing agent in tooth pastes and metal polishes.
How exactly do they carry out the process of biomineralization?
Before diving into this process we need to understand the species and anatomy of a
diatom.
1. Diatoms are photosynthesising algae, they have a siliceous skeleton (frustule)
and are found in almost every aquatic environment including fresh and marine
waters, soils, in fact almost anywhere moist.

2. Being autotrophic they are restricted to the photic zone (water depths down to
about 200m depending on clarity).

3. Both benthic[ deep down the ocean floor] and planktic forms exist.
 4. The Chrysophyta are algae which form endoplasmic cysts, store oils rather
than starch, possess a bipartite [consisting of two parts] cell wall and secrete
silica at some stage of their life cycle.

5. Diatoms are commonly between 20-200 microns in diameter or length,

although sometimes they can be up to 2 milli meters long.

6. The cell may be solitary or colonial (attached by mucous filaments or by

bands into long chains).

Biomineralization:- Biomineralization, also written biomineralisation,

is the process by which living organisms produce minerals, often to harden or
stiffen existing tissues. Such tissues are called mineralized tissues. ...
Organisms have been producing mineralized skeletons for the past 550 million
years.
Biomineralization in diatoms,
Diatom cell walls are of remarkable beauty and intricacy Therefore, this
biomineralization has been regarded as a paradigm for controlled production
of nanostructured silica.
Cell wall formation occurs in a flattened vesicle, known as silica deposition
vesicle,
All genera of diatoms investigated so far incorporate highly modified proteins
(silaffins) and/or long-chain polyamines [an organic compound having more
than two amino groups] into their silica based cell walls,
In vitro studies with these long-chain polyamines revealed their possible role in
the formation of biosilica , an extensive research into polyamines showed that
they are needed for growth in almost all cells  An adequate supply
of polyamines is especially important to the gastrointestinal epithelium where
72 h is the length of an average cell's life.
The steps include :-
1. Long-chain polyamines accelerate the rate of polysilicic acid formation from silicic
acid and guide the formation of stabilized silica sols with particle diameters in the
40–100 nm range .
2. In the presence of phosphate or other polyanions, long-chain polyamines undergo a
phase separation forming a microemulsion .
3. Mixing of phase separated polyamines and polyamine-stabilized silica sols results in
the immediate formation of silica hexagons.
In the form of a flow chart it can roughly be depicted as:-

Diatoms take in silica from

the environment in the form
of silicic acid.

Long-chain polyamines accelerate the rate of

polysilicic acid formation from silicic acid and
guide the formation of stabilized silica sols with
particle diameters in the 40–100 nm range
 In the presence of phosphate or other polyanions,
long-chain polyamines undergo a phase separation
forming a microemulsion

. Mixing of phase separated polyamines and

polyamine-stabilized silica sols results in the
immediate formation of silica hexagons

Explanation of the terms given above:-

1]POLYAMINES :- Polyamines are naturally occurring organic cations found in
plants, animals and microbes. They are formed by the enzymatic decarboxylation
of the amino acids ornithine or arginine.

2] POLYSILICIC:- Pyrosilicic acid is the chemical compound with formula

H6Si2O7 or (HO)3SiOSi(OH)3. It was synthesized, using nonaqueous solutions, in
2017. It may be present in sea water and other natural waters at very low
concentration.

3] SILICA SOLS:- Silica sols are aqueous, solvent-free, low-odour, colloidal

solutions of amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) with particle sizes from 5 nm to
100 nm

4] PHASE-SEPARATION:- The separation of fluid phases that contain

different concentrations of common components. Occurs with partially miscible
solvents used in many biochemical separation methods.
 5] MICROEMULSION:- A micro-emulsion is a thermodynamically stable
dispersion of two immiscible liquids in the presence of an emulsifier or .

6] SILICA HEXAGONS:-

Hexagonal silica structures represent main elements in the architecture of

diatom walls.
A model based on phase separation processes has been proposed that is able
to explain the formation of hierarchically organized silica patterns as found in
diatoms of the genus Coscinodiscus
 COSCINODISCUS

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO ONE SPECIFIC DIATOM :-

Recently, the complete genome of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana has
been sequenced making this species an attractive model organism for future
research.
T. pseudonana genes encoding silaffins have already been identified . In
addition, the polyamines present in the biosilica of this species have been
assumed to represent again N-methylated polypropyleneimines attached to
putrescine. However, as shown herein, the structures of T. pseudonana
polyamines are quite different and include as yet unknown chemical features .
Thalassiosira pseudonana (Hustedt) Hasle and Heimdal, (1957) 1970

Common Name: A centric diatom, Synonyms and Other Names: Cyclotella nana

Size: 2.5 to 15 microns
Identification: This diatom can occur singly or in chains up to 6 cells long.
Native Range: Unclear. Thalassiosira pseudonana is considered widespread. It
is known from freshwater habitats in Europe and the former USSR, brackish
and coastal waters of Europe, coastal waters of Japan, coastal waters of
Australia, coastal waters of India, the Argentine Sea, the Baltic Sea, coastal
waters on both sides of North America, and a few inland habitats in North
America .
THE frustule :- Life in a Glass House. [ importance of their cell wall and its
synthesis]
The most distinctive aspect of diatoms is the frustule, which consists of
hydrated silicon dioxide (silica) and a small amount of organic material.
Importance:- The strength of the frustule is hypothesized to help protect
diatoms from being crushed during predation
Basic mechanism:- The frustule is composed of two unequally sized halves
connected by a series of overlapping siliceous girdle bands
In generating and maintaining their frustules, diatoms control biogenic cycling
of silicic acid in the ocean to such an extent that every atom of silicon entering
the oceans is incorporated into diatom frustules about 40 times before its
burial in sea floor sediments.
Diatoms must compensate for their dense silica frustule to maintain position
within the illuminated portion of the water column. Some diatoms, including
members of Thalassiosira, apparently increase drag and thus decrease sinking
rates by extruding chitin fibers from pores in the frustule
These fibers can represent as much as 40% of total cell biomass and 20% of
total cellular nitrogen.
Diatoms have continued to attract research interest over a long time. One
important reason for this research interest is the amazingly beautiful
microstructured and nanostructured patterning of the silica-based diatom
cell walls. These materials become increasingly important from the
materials science point of view. However, many aspects of diatom cell wall
formation and patterning are still not fully understood.
Diatoms, was and is a very interesting and unique topic in biology, that has
baffled biologists for quite a few decades now.
It still continues to be one of the major research topics in this field, and
fascinate researchers as to how such a simple unicellular eukaryote is able to
execute the morphogenetic mechanism for a complex process of
biomineralization , of intricately patterned silica.
Resources:-
1] The genome of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: Ecology,
evolution, and metabolism
Authors Ambrust, E.V. Berges, J. Bowler, C. et al. Publication Date
2004-09-01
Link:- https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03j415ph

2] Biomineralization in diatoms: Characterization of novel

polyamines associated with silica,
Brunner, E., Gröger, C., Lutz, K. et al. Analytical studies of silica
biomineralization: towards an understanding of silica
processing by diatoms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 84, 607–616
(2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2140-3

3] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/diatom.html

4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatom