Diatom (IMAGE) CNRS Caption Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic algae, with a silicious skeleton. They belong to the phytoplankton family. Credit © John Dolan/CNRS Images Usage Restrictions non commercial use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.