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- In this image the
second semicell is just barely
- visible, though it
is blurry and not in focus.
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- Staurastrum has highly constricted unicells that
are radially symmetrical in end view. The semicells have multiple
hollow projections - usually 3, 6, or 9 - and are often covered
in warts or spines. The cell walls may be smooth or ornamented,
and contain compounds that make them resistant to decay. Staurastrum
remains have been found in lake sediments thousands of years
old.
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- Each semicell usually has
a large, lobed chloroplast with a single large pyrenoid in its
center, but this can vary among species. The nucleus is located
in the isthmus between the two semicells. There are more than
800 species of Staurastrum that are mainly distinguished
by differences in the cell wall patterns.
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