Diatom Life Cycle at Life

Diatom Life Cycle. Individual cells grow to approximately twice their minimum size and divide, resulting in two daughter cells. Diatoms have two different reproduction stages, asexual and sexual.

Seasonal growth and encystment cycles in late cretaceous planktonic marine diatoms are now well documented. Diatom life cycles have recently been reviewed by edlund and stoermer (1997). Most diatoms continue their life cycles via an obligatory sexual phase.

Salp Planktonic

In this study, 16 cylindrotheca closterium strains from a single rbcl lineage were used to describe the life cycle of this marine diatom, including the sexual process and mating system. The diatom life cycle is what is known as a boom and bust cycle. Diatoms exhibit a characteristic “bloom and bust” lifecycle in that when conditions are favorable, diatoms replicate rapidly (bloom) and when nutrients become depleted, they sink down into the lower layers of the water until conditions become favorable for growth (bust). However, sperm found in some species can be flagellated, though motility is usually limited to a gliding motion.