The sample was observed immediately after being collected from a paddy field.
A light brown diatom is threading its way through soil particles. Without a specific organ for movement, how and by what mechanism does the diatom cell move around?
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University This diatom belongs to genus Pinnularia. When it glides on a surface, it usually shows the top view, called the valve face. However in this video, it shows the side view, called the girdle face. When the organism encounters particles in its path, it rolls onto its side to get through them.
The sample was observed immediately after being collected from a paddy field.
A diatom cell is slowly threading its way through obstacles.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University This diatom belongs to genus Pinnularia. When it glides on a surface, it usually shows the top view, called the valve face. However in this video, it shows the side view, called the girdle face. When the organism encounters particles in its path, it rolls onto its side to get through them.
The sample was observed immediately after being collected from a paddy field.
A diatom cell is slowly threading its way through obstacles. Without a specific organ for movement, it is a mystery how the diatom moves around.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University This diatom belongs to genus Pinnularia. When it glides on a surface, it usually shows the top view, called the valve face. However in this video, it shows the side view, called the girdle face. When the organism encounters particles in its path, it rolls onto its side to get through them.
After being collected from a paddy field, the sample was put on DNB agar plate (diluted nutrient broth with agar) with a drop of distilled water for 4 days, and then observed.
A large diatom cell slowly goes into and later backs out of a large aggregate. Long filamentous and rod-shaped bacteria are moving around. Some of the rod-shaped bacteria seem to gather around the rear of the diatom cell.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University This diatom belongs to genus Pinnularia.
The organism is seen from the side view (girdle face), which does not show the pattern. We can’t be sure from this video whether or not the organism is in the process of division.
Flagellates vigorously swimming around are probably Trachelomonas volvocina.
