Lateral sternum

A lateral sternum is a thickening of silica without pores on the valve face parallel to the sternum and interrupting the striae. One lies on each side of the sternum. The pair connect at the central node, becoming lyrate (having the shape of a lyre). A freshwater example in Mastogloia pumila is illustrated on this page.

Citations

Round, F.E., Crawford, R.M. and Mann, D.G. (1990) The Diatoms. Biology and Morphology of the Genera. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 747 pp.

Mastogloia Lateral Sternum — Scanning electron micrograph of the lateral sternum of a marine *Mastogloia*.

Maspumila3 77X232 — Light micrograph showing the lyrate, lateral sternum of *Mastogloia pumila*, interrupting the striae on each side of the raphe. Scale bar = 10 µm.