Editing Diatom (section)

===Other===
Diatoms are mainly photosynthetic; however a few are obligate [[heterotrophs]] and can live in the absence of light provided an appropriate organic carbon source is available.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Armstrong|first1=E|last2=Rogerson|first2=A|last3=Leftley|first3=Jw|date=2000|title=Utilisation of seaweed carbon by three surface-associated heterotrophic protists, Stereomyxa ramosa, Nitzschia alba and Labyrinthula sp.|journal=Aquatic Microbial Ecology|language=en|volume=21|pages=49–57|doi=10.3354/ame021049|issn=0948-3055|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lewin|first1=Joyce|last2=Lewin|first2=R. A.|date=1967|title=Culture and Nutrition of Some Apochlorotic Diatoms of the Genus Nitzschia|journal=Microbiology|volume=46|issue=3|pages=361–367|doi=10.1099/00221287-46-3-361|issn=1350-0872|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Photosynthetic diatoms that find themselves in an environment absent of oxygen and/or sunlight can switch to anaerobic respiration known as [[Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium|nitrate respiration]] (DNRA), and stay dormant for up till months and decades.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid=21402908 | year=2011 | last1=Kamp | first1=A. | last2=De Beer | first2=D. | last3=Nitsch | first3=J. L. | last4=Lavik | first4=G. | last5=Stief | first5=P. | title=Diatoms respire nitrate to survive dark and anoxic conditions | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume=108 | issue=14 | pages=5649–5654 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1015744108 | pmc=3078364 | bibcode=2011PNAS..108.5649K | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Nitrate respiration and diel migration patterns of diatoms are linked in sediments underneath a microbial mat |year=2021 |doi=10.1111/1462-2920.15345 |last1=Merz |first1=Elisa |last2=Dick |first2=Gregory J. |last3=Beer |first3=Dirk |last4=Grim |first4=Sharon |last5=Hübener |first5=Thomas |last6=Littmann |first6=Sten |last7=Olsen |first7=Kirk |last8=Stuart |first8=Dack |last9=Lavik |first9=Gaute |last10=Marchant |first10=Hannah K. |last11=Klatt |first11=Judith M. | display-authors = 6 | journal=Environmental Microbiology |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=1422–1435 |pmid=33264477 |s2cid=227259897 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021EnvMi..23.1422M |hdl=2027.42/167035 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Major [[pigment]]s of diatoms are [[chlorophylls]] a and c, [[beta-carotene]], [[fucoxanthin]], diatoxanthin and diadinoxanthin.<ref name="HasleSyvertsen1996" />