You are examining a sample of salt water and see a single-celled organism with a cell wall constructed of two pieces.The top piece overlaps the bottom piece.The cell wall is impregnated with silica and has an intricate pattern.You are most likely looking at a
A) red alga.
B) radiolarian.
C) diatom.
D) euglenid.
E) dinoflagellate.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diatoms have a unique cell wall made of two overlapping silica-based plates that fit together like a box and lid. The intricate pattern on the cell wall is also a characteristic of diatoms. Red algae have a cell wall made of cellulose and lack the intricate pattern. Radiolarians have a silica-based cell wall but it is not constructed of two overlapping pieces. Euglenids have a cell wall made of protein strips and lack silica. Dinoflagellates have a cellulose-based cell wall and lack the unique overlapping pattern of diatoms.

You Are Examining a Sample of Salt Water and See