fun algal facts

[eub]

As mentioned earlier, the existence of a raphe is essential for translocation. It consists of a slit in the rigid silicate frustule; however, it is not a simple cleft but has a complicated structure.

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n.b. I was wrong about remembering the propulsion by jet action of slime. That was a discreted hypothesis.

Calculations indicate that the amount of slime necessary to power the trichome by jet propulsion and subsequent swelling exceeds the total contents of the cells within a short time (Holton and Freeman, 1965).