Answer to Question #168927 in Ecology for Merel Lanjouw

Question

Does phagotrophy ever occur in Diatoms? More specifically: I want to know if there are mixotrophic diatoms

Answer 1

Yes, phagotrophy transpires in diatoms, due to the ingestion of living or dead particles by cells, occurs in many groups of photosynthetic eukaryotes, including many algae that arose by secondary or tertiary endosymbiosis light availability for photosynthesis limited growth and possibly triggered phagotrophy, contrasting with the common requirements for phagotrophy in nitrogen, phosphorus and iron acquisition in algae under natural conditions

Diatoms are prolific photo synthesizers, accounting for roughly one-fifth of global net primary production. Some pennate diatoms are mixotrophic, having the ability to also use extracellular carbon for growth. In addition, a handful of species are strictly heterotrophic.