Didimocrytus tetrathalamus - radiolarian magnified 3400 times - Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - 2012-05-17

Description:

Description: English: Model of a Didymocrytus tetrathalamus, a form of protozoa, on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. This model is magnified 3,400 times from life. Didymocrytus tetrathalamus is a radiolarian, a form of animal-like protozoa. They have just a single cell. Radiolarians secrete minerals that help them form a shell. These shells are geometric in configuration -- leading them to take on a wide variety of forms (like snowflakes). In this case, Didymocrytus tetrathalamus has a central structure that constricts it about the middle. Some Didymocrytus tetrathalamus have spines, but some don't. Didymocrytus tetrathalamus was first identified in 1887. It prefers temperate but not cold oceans, and relies on algae inside its body for the generation of energy. Date: 17 May 2012. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/7282108674/. Author: Tim Evanson.