Differences in the optical properties of valve and girdle band in a centric diatom

Diatoms are phototrophic single-celled microalgae encased in a cell wall (frustule) made of amorphous silicate. The frustule comprises two valves connected by a variable number of girdle bands, all exhibiting periodic micro/nanoporous structures. We studied the optical properties in water of girdle bands from the centric diatom Coscinodiscus granii, a frustule part that so far has received little attention by the scientific community. We show that valves and girdle bands exhibit different optical properties, as valves attenuate shorter wavelengths and girdle bands attenuate longer wavelengths of the visible light spectrum. Girdle bands show iridescent coloration in dependence of the light direction. Although the biological meaning of periodic nanoscale structures of frustules is still a matter of debate, the differences of valve and girdle band optical properties indicate that living diatoms are complex optical systems, where valves, girdles and pigments modulate light inside the cell.