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Published online 20 February 2003 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news030217-8
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Beauty gives diatoms strength
Ornate armour enables plankton to withstand huge pressures.
Adelicate filigree coating enables microscopic single-celled algae to withstand pressure like that of an adult elephant standing on a dining table. If the silica shell were smooth, it would take 60% less force to crush, new research shows1.
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