What are diatoms?

Diatoms are tiny, hardy little creatures that live in water and make pretty patterns like glass.

Imagine you have a magnifying glass, the kind you use to look at ants or your favorite toy. Now imagine looking at something so small it’s like a grain of sand. That’s where diatoms live! They’re like tiny architects, building shells made of silica (a material found in some kinds of rocks and sand). These shells are super strong and have cool designs, kind of like the windows on a house or the lines on a cookie.

Diatoms float around in lakes, oceans, and even puddles. They use sunlight to make food, just like plants do. Sometimes they’re so tiny you can’t see them without help, but when there are lots of them together, they can look like a shimmering sea under the water.

When diatoms die, their shells stay behind, and over time, these little shells pile up to make something called diatomaceous earth. That’s what some people use in gardening or even in some kinds of filters!