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/ˈdaɪ.ə.təm/ · noun
Any of a group of minute unicellular algae having a siliceous covering of great delicacy, now categorized as class Diatomophyceae or division Bacillariophyta..
Diatoms are enclosed in two shells that fit together like a pillbox.
Diatoms are characterized by a cell wall called a fistula made of silica, which usually has two overlapping sections.
We show here, through a systematic study of the covalent chemical bond covering the entire periodic system, that the maximum bond multiplicity is six. The maximum value is reached by the tungsten diatom, W₂. No other pair of atoms in the periodic system (atomic numbers smaller than about 100) reaches a higher bond order.
Use diatom when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Diatom means Any of a group of minute unicellular algae having a siliceous covering of great delicacy, now categorized as class Diatomophyceae or division Bacillariophyta..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
Diatoms are enclosed in two shells that fit together like a pillbox.
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