Alga of the year 2011: Fragilariopsis cylindrus loves the extremes
Nine individual cells of Fragilariopsis cylindrus next to each other. Each cell contains two chloroplasts which used to produce energy in the process called photosynthesis. The accessory pigment fucoxanthin gives the chloroplasts their brown colour. Light microscopy: Dr Gerhard Dieckmann, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany