Tiny diatoms boast enormous strength

Diatoms are single-celled algae organisms, around 30 to 100 millionths of a meter in diameter, that are ubiquitous throughout the oceans. These creatures are encased within a hard shell shaped like a wide, flattened cylinder -- like a tambourine -- that is made of silica. Researchers have recently found that these shells have the highest specific strength -- the strength at which a structure breaks with respect to its density -- of any known biological material, including bone, antlers, and teet