ALGAE

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Algae are simplest eukaryotic organisms, may be
unicellular or multicellular.
Plant Body: Thalloid , not differentiated into root,
stem and leaves.
Nutrition: Mostly algae are Photoautotrophic; some
forms are Chemo-autotrophic also.
Universal in occurrence.
Flagella: may be single, in pairs, many in no.,
isokont or heterokont.
Alternation of Generations in reproduction.
 Found in a variety of habitats.
 Fresh water, marine, on rocks, soil, on plants and
within animals.
 Aquatic forms are most common.
 On the basis of habitat, algae are classified into
three groups:
1. Aquatic forms
2. Terrestrial forms
3. Algae of unusual habitats
 occur in ponds, lakes, rivers etc.
(eg. Spirogyra, Chlamydomonas)
occur in saline conditions (sea &
oceans) (eg. Sargassum, Porphyra)
found in soil, rocks, tree trunks, moist walls etc.
Eg. Fritschiella, Trentifolia
a. Halophytic algae: found in
highly saline water
(eg. Dunaliella salina)

b. Epiphytic algae: found on

surface of other plants/algae
(eg. Oedogonium)

c. Epizoic algae: found on other

animals-snails & fish
(eg. Cladophora crisposa grow on
snail)
d. Endozoic algae: grow inside
animals
(eg. Zoochlorella inside Hydra)
e. Symbiotic algae: found in
symbiotic association with fungi
(lichens), with bryophytes,
pteridophytes, angiosperms &
gymnosperms
(eg. Nostoc within the thallus of
Anthoceros)
f. Parasitic algae: algae parasite on
plants/animals
(eg. Cephlaeuros virescens causing
Red Rust of Tea)
g. Thermophytic algae: grow in hot springs.
Eg. Halosiphon lignosus
h. Cryophytic algae: found in snow.
Eg. Chlamydomonas nivalis
• Wide range, unicellular to multicellular, microscopic to
macroscopic.
• Size range from micron to several metres.
• On the basis of thallus organisation, algae are of following
types:
a. Unicellular forms: eg. Chlamydomonas, Chlorella
b. Colonial forms: eg. Volvox, Pediastrum
c. Filamentous forms: eg. Ulothrix, Spirogyra
d. Siphonaceous forms: eg. Vaucheria
e. Parenchymatous forms: eg. Ulva
Great diversity in pigmentation in different algal groups.
Pigments in algae belong to 3 major categories:
a. Chlorophylls: fat-soluble green coloured pigments,
5 types, chl. a, b, c, d & e.
b. Carotenoids: fat-soluble yellow coloured pigments,
2 types; carotenes (5 types) & xanthophylls (20 types).
c. Phycobilins (Biliproteins): include
Red-coloured Phycoerythrins (Rhodophyceae) and
Blue-coloured Phycocyanins (Cyanophyceae).
Except in Cyanophyceae (Blue-green algae),
pigments in algae are found in membrane-bound
organelles called as Plastids.
In Blue-green algae, pigments are present in
peripheral cytoplasm (chromoplasm)
Plastids are of two types:
a. Leucoplast: colourless plastids
b. Chromoplast: coloured plastids
Cup shaped: Chlamydomonas, Volvox
Discoid shaped: Vaucheria, Chara
Girdle shaped: Ulothrix
Reticulate shaped: Oedogonium
Spiral shaped: Spirogyra
Stellate shaped: Zygnema
These are proteinaceous bodies present in
chromatophores.
Organelle for synthesis and storage of starch.
In some chlorophyceae, pyrenoids are surrounded
by starch grains.
Pyrenoids absent in blue-green algae.
Also called as Food Reserve.
Food accumulates in the form of polysaccharides.
Stored form of food functions as an important
source of energy that can be released and used in
ATP production when required.
 Cyanophyceae: cyanophycean starch
 Chlorophyceae: starch
 Rhodophyceae: floridean starch
 Phaeophyceae: laminarin, mannitol & oil
 Algae reproduce by 3 methods:
1. Vegetative Reproduction: by cell division, fission,
fragmentation, hormogonia, adventitious branches,
tubers, budding etc.
2. Asexual reproduction: by variety of motile and non-
motile spores (zoospores, aplanospores, hypnospores,
akinetes, azygospores, tetraspores)
3. Sexual reproduction: autogamous, isogamous,
anisogamous and oogamous gametic fusion.
5 types of life cycle based on the number of
haploid and diploid generation:
a. Haplontic
b. Diplontic
c. Haplobiontic
d. Diplobiontic
e. Haplodiplontic