You are looking at a plankton sample and find a single-celled organism with a glassy internal skeleton that gives it an elaborate geometric shape.Photosynthetic endosymbionts within the organism give it a greenish golden color.This organism is most likely a
A) dinoflagellate.
B) plasmodial slime mold.
C) radiolarian.
D) diatom.
E) coral.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Radiolarians are single-celled organisms that have glassy internal skeletons and are known for their elaborate geometric shapes. They often have photosynthetic endosymbionts that give them a greenish golden color. Diatoms also have glassy internal skeletons but do not typically have endosymbionts, while dinoflagellates are generally not known for their geometric shapes. Plasmodial slime molds are not single-celled organisms and corals are multicellular animals, not planktonic organisms. Therefore, radiolarian is the most likely option.

You Are Looking at a Plankton Sample and Find a Single-Celled