Biological scaling in diatoms : the adaptive nature of perforations in silica cell walls of the Pinnularia borealis species complex (Bacillariophyta)
- Author
- Jana Kulichová and Eveline Pinseel (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
- Abstract
- Biological scaling is a fundamental process in the shaping of organismal traits, including metabolism and resource exchange. One of the most extensively studied allometric relationships, especially in unicellular eukaryotes, is the ratio of surface area to volume. In diatoms, interactions with the external environment are expected to be influenced not only by cell size but also by the perforations in their siliceous cell walls, which are expected to facilitate the exchange of gases, liquids, particles, and heat. This study investigates morphological traits in 55 monoclonal diatom strains representing eight phylogenetic lineages of the predominantly terrestrial Pinnularia borealis species complex. Morphometric analyses revealed a strong correlation between cell size and other morphological metrics, including a negative relationship between size and surface-to-volume ratio. The key finding was the relatively stable proportion of perforated to unperforated surface area across a wide range of cell sizes. Considering the substantial variation in cell size observed both among P. borealis lineages and within strains, we hypothesize that this stability is indicative of the role of valve perforations in survival in the terrestrial habitat, particularly in balancing resource (nutrient) acquisition and water retention. This study underscores the need for a more sensitive approach to linking form and function, which can be enhanced through the digital quantification of morphological traits.
- Keywords
- Allometry, Biovolume, Microalgae, Morphometrics, Phenotypic, plasticity, SIZE EVOLUTION, VOLUME RATIOS, LIFE-CYCLE, SALINITY, MARINE, GROWTH, MORPHOLOGY, STREAM, ISLAND, AREA
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01K9WCG2J0KZDEJMH6MN7CEMFB
- MLA
- Kulichová, Jana, and Eveline Pinseel. “Biological Scaling in Diatoms : The Adaptive Nature of Perforations in Silica Cell Walls of the Pinnularia Borealis Species Complex (Bacillariophyta).” PHYCOLOGIA, vol. 64, no. 5, 2025, pp. 429–40, doi:10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491.
- APA
- Kulichová, J., & Pinseel, E. (2025). Biological scaling in diatoms : the adaptive nature of perforations in silica cell walls of the Pinnularia borealis species complex (Bacillariophyta). PHYCOLOGIA, 64(5), 429–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491
- Chicago author-date
- Kulichová, Jana, and Eveline Pinseel. 2025. “Biological Scaling in Diatoms : The Adaptive Nature of Perforations in Silica Cell Walls of the Pinnularia Borealis Species Complex (Bacillariophyta).” PHYCOLOGIA 64 (5): 429–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Kulichová, Jana, and Eveline Pinseel. 2025. “Biological Scaling in Diatoms : The Adaptive Nature of Perforations in Silica Cell Walls of the Pinnularia Borealis Species Complex (Bacillariophyta).” PHYCOLOGIA 64 (5): 429–440. doi:10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491.
- Vancouver
- 1.Kulichová J, Pinseel E. Biological scaling in diatoms : the adaptive nature of perforations in silica cell walls of the Pinnularia borealis species complex (Bacillariophyta). PHYCOLOGIA. 2025;64(5):429–40.
- IEEE
- [1]J. Kulichová and E. Pinseel, “Biological scaling in diatoms : the adaptive nature of perforations in silica cell walls of the Pinnularia borealis species complex (Bacillariophyta),” PHYCOLOGIA, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 429–440, 2025.
@article{01K9WCG2J0KZDEJMH6MN7CEMFB,
abstract = {{Biological scaling is a fundamental process in the shaping of organismal traits, including metabolism and resource exchange. One of the most extensively studied allometric relationships, especially in unicellular eukaryotes, is the ratio of surface area to volume. In diatoms, interactions with the external environment are expected to be influenced not only by cell size but also by the perforations in their siliceous cell walls, which are expected to facilitate the exchange of gases, liquids, particles, and heat. This study investigates morphological traits in 55 monoclonal diatom strains representing eight phylogenetic lineages of the predominantly terrestrial Pinnularia borealis species complex. Morphometric analyses revealed a strong correlation between cell size and other morphological metrics, including a negative relationship between size and surface-to-volume ratio. The key finding was the relatively stable proportion of perforated to unperforated surface area across a wide range of cell sizes. Considering the substantial variation in cell size observed both among P. borealis lineages and within strains, we hypothesize that this stability is indicative of the role of valve perforations in survival in the terrestrial habitat, particularly in balancing resource (nutrient) acquisition and water retention. This study underscores the need for a more sensitive approach to linking form and function, which can be enhanced through the digital quantification of morphological traits.}},
author = {{Kulichová, Jana and Pinseel, Eveline}},
issn = {{0031-8884}},
journal = {{PHYCOLOGIA}},
keywords = {{Allometry,Biovolume,Microalgae,Morphometrics,Phenotypic,plasticity,SIZE EVOLUTION,VOLUME RATIOS,LIFE-CYCLE,SALINITY,MARINE,GROWTH,MORPHOLOGY,STREAM,ISLAND,AREA}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{429--440}},
title = {{Biological scaling in diatoms : the adaptive nature of perforations in silica cell walls of the Pinnularia borealis species complex (Bacillariophyta)}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2563491}},
volume = {{64}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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