frustules
/ˈfrʌstʃuːlz/
noun
- Plural form of frustule; the hard, silica-based cell walls or shells of diatoms.
- Each drop of pond water may hold hundreds of tiny frustules.
- The intricate patterns on diatom frustules are used in nanotechnology research.
- The lake sediment contained thousands of fossilized frustules from ancient diatoms.