frustule
/ˈfrʌstjuːl
/noun Botany
The silicified cell wall of a diatom, consisting of two valves or overlapping halves.Observe the diatom frustule below at right, in which the two halves have been pushed slightly askew....
- Bacteria accelerate silica dissolution in the sea by colonizing and enzymatically degrading the organic matrix of diatom frustules.
- Like its brethren, it is encased by a frustule, a rigid cell wall delicately marked with pores in patterns distinctive enough for scientists to tell the species apart.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin frustulum, diminutive of frustum (see frustum).