bild

All moral rights asserted. Recolouring or alteration..of the image is prohibited without permission. .Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a radiolarian. Radiolaria are single-celled protozoans that are found in marine plankton. They have a silicate skeleton with pores through which pseudopodia (false feet, not seen) of protoplasm project. As the animal floats in ocean currents the pseudopodia trap food particles on which the radiolarian feeds. The skeletons, or tests, of ancient radiolarians are used in geological dating, including for oil exploration and determination of ancient climates. Magnification: x1000 when printed at 15 centimetres wide. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)