How Diatoms Build Their Beautiful Shells

The video introduces the team behind 'Journey to the Microcosmos' and focuses on diatoms, microscopic organisms with significant ecological roles. It explains the structure and formation of diatoms' silica shells, known as frustules, and their contribution to photosynthesis and oxygen production. The video also discusses the ecological impact of diatoms, their lifecycle, and how they recycle silica in aquatic environments.

Who is introduced as a new host in the Journey to the Microcosmos series?

• James Weiss

• Matthew Gaydos

• Devoke Kichak Rivarde

• Hank Green

What is the primary material that forms the shells of diatoms?

• Phosphate

• Carbon

• Silica

• Calcium

What is the term used for the silica shells of diatoms?

• Capsules

• Coccoliths

• Exoskeletons

• Frustules

Which process is still not fully understood in the formation of diatom shells?

• Photosynthesis

• Silica deposition

• Protein synthesis

• Carbon fixation

What helps diatoms move by secreting a viscous fluid?

• Flagella

• Pseudopodia

• Cilia

• Raphe

What happens to diatom populations when silicic acid is depleted?

• They change color

• They become more buoyant

• They stop growing

• They grow faster

What is the fate of diatom frustules after the diatoms die?

• They become part of the sediment

• They are recycled by other diatoms

• They float to the surface

• They dissolve completely