Optical properties of Silica

The Light Pipe Hypothesis

Silica, the material of common glass, has interesting optical properties that could be important for a diatom collecting light for photosynthesis. For example, long setae might function like fiber-optic cable, transmitting light from tip to base toward photosynthetic structures.

Silica Menu
Main Menu

John Becker's diatoms pages copyright Becker 1996.