Characterization and Analysis of Gomphonema sp frustule Based on SEM/EDS

Abstract

Diatoms (Bacillarophyceae) are unicellular algae and eukaryotes that live in all aquatic environments.Diatoms have more than 200 genera and estimated diversity ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 species1,4.Diatoms are characterized by the presence of a siliceous cell wall called ‘frustules’. The single diatom frustule is size ranges between 1 µm and 5.6 mm5,7. The study the directly baked diatom cells by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) explains the effect of scorching diatom cells. This paper presents a first time approach for morphology and chemical composition properties of unique micro to nano porous Gomphonema sp. We have characterized the amorphous silica frustules of freshwater diatoms by SEM.