Phaeodactylum
genus of Diatomea
Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a diatom, the only species in the genus Phaeodactylum. Unlike other diatoms, P. tricornutum can exist in different morphotypes (fusiform, triradiate, and oval) and changes in cell shape can be stimulated by environmental conditions. This feature can be used to explore the molecular basis of cell shape control and morphogenesis. Unlike most diatoms, P. tricornutum can grow in the absence of silicon and can survive without making silicified frustules. This provides opportunities for experimental exploration of silicon-based nanofabrication in diatoms.
Another peculiarity is that during asexual reproduction the frustules do not appear to become smaller. This allows continuous culture without need for sexual reproduction. It is not known if P. tricornutum can reproduce sexually. To date no substantial evidence has been found to support sexual reproduction in a laboratory or other setting. Although P. tricornutum can be considered to be an atypical pennate diatom, it is one of the main diatom model species.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Phaeodactylum” as genus of Diatomea. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of Diatomea. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q20675466. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Phaeodactylum” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.