THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DIATOM IN DIFFERENT PRESERVATION METHODS: A COMPARISON STUDY
Muhammad Hadi El Amin(a), Nining Betawati Prihantini (a*)

a) Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, 16424, Depok, West Java, Indonesia
*Corresponding author: nining[at]sci.ui.ac.id

Abstract

Diatoms are one kind of microalgae which often used as a bioindicator of water quality because of their cosmopolite presence and they are easy to recognise. Their characteristics are unique caused of their cells are covered by silica which is called a frustule. Diatom identification is carried out using morphological features that are contained in the frustules. There are some methods for diatoms preservation including using Lugol^s iodine, ethanol and formaldehyde solution. This study aims to compare those solutions. Diatom samples are taken at Indonesia university lake (Situ Agathis). Those solutions had prepared with one control and four observation. Lugol^s iodine was prepared with a dose of 1%. Ethanol was used at doses of 20% while the formaldehyde solution was used at 4%. The observed diatom characteristics include the presence of cytoplasm, and ornamentation of the diatom frustules (including striae and raphes) were observed to find the distinction in those methods. the presence of cytoplasm in each cell was not too different in the treatment, with the percentage of cytoplasmic cells being 73% (ethanol and formalin) while in Lugol the percentage of cytoplasmic cells was 65% and in the control was 76%. Based on the results, it was found that there was no significant effect of differences in preservation methods on cells with the same cytoplasm or not with a p value > 0.05

Keywords: Diatom, Preservation method, Characteristics

Topic: Biology