Cell Division in Pennate Diatoms

Abstract

General pattern of the process of mitotic division was studied in thirty seven pennate diatoms. Even though normal mitotic division takes place in diatoms it resembles with that of animal cell division in having ring-like arrangement of metaphase chromosomes and cell furrow cleavage of cytoplasm. Most of the diatoms follow Mac Donald-Pfitzers hypothesis of size reduction after cell division in each generation.