-Sonali Joshi,

Assistsnt Professor,
Thakur College of Science.
 What are Algae?
 Algae exist in environments ranging from oceans, rivers,
and lakes to ponds, brackish waters and even snow.
 Algae are usually green, but they can be found in a variety
of different colours.
 For instance, algae living in snow contain carotenoid
pigments in addition to chlorophyll, hence giving the
surrounding snow a distinctive red hue.
 Algae Definition
 “Alga is a term that describes a large and incredibly
diverse group of eukaryotic, photosynthetic life
forms. These organisms do not share a common
ancestor and hence, are not related to each other
(polyphyletic).”
 Multicellular examples of algae include the giant kelp and
brown algae. Unicellular examples include diatoms,
Euglenophyta and Dinoflagellates.
 Most algae require a moist or watery environment; hence,
they are ubiquitous near or inside water bodies.
 Anatomically, they are similar to another major group of
photosynthetic organisms – the land plants.
 However, that is where the differences end as algae lack
many structural components typically present in plants, such
as true stems, shoots, and leaves.
 Furthermore, they also do not have vascular tissues to
circulate essential nutrients and water throughout their body.
 Characteristics of Algae
 Specific general characteristics of algae are common to plants as well as
animals.
 For instance, algae can photosynthesize like plants, and they possess
specialized structures and cell-organelles, like centrioles and flagella,
found only in animals.

Listed below are some of the general characteristics of algae.

1. Algae are photosynthetic organisms
2. Algae can be either unicellular or multicellular organisms
3. Algae lack a well-defined body, so, structures like roots, stems or
leaves are absent
4. Algaes are found where there is adequate moisture.
5. Reproduction in algae occurs in both asexual and sexual forms.
Asexual reproduction occurs by spore formation.
6. Algae are free-living, although some can form a symbiotic relationship
with other organisms.
Types of Algae
 Red Algae
 Also called Rhodophyta, it is a distinctive species found in
marine as well as freshwater ecosystems.
 The pigments phycocyanin and phycoerythrin are responsible
for the characteristic red colouration of the algae.
 Other pigments that provide green colouration (such as
chlorophyll a) are present.
 However, they lack chlorophyll b or beta-carotene.
 Green Algae
 It is a large, informal grouping of algae having the primary
photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll a and b, along with
auxiliary pigments such as xanthophylls and beta carotene.
 Higher organisms use green algae to conduct photosynthesis
for them.
 Other species of green algae have a symbiotic relationship
with other organisms.
 Members are unicellular, multicellular, colonial and
flagellates. Prominent examples of green algae include
Spirogyra, Ulothrix, Volvox, etc
 Not an Algae: Blue-green Algae
 In the past, blue-green algae were one of the most well-known types of
algae.
 However, since blue-green algae are prokaryotes, they are not currently
included under algae (because all algae are classified as eukaryotic
organisms).
 Also called cyanobacteria, these organisms live in moist or aquatic
environments just like other algae.
 These include dams, rivers, reservoirs, creeks, lakes and oceans.
 This class of bacteria obtains energy through the process
of photosynthesis.
 Ecologically, some species of blue-green algae are significant to the
environment as it fixes the nitrogen in the soil.
 Hence, these are also called nitrogen-fixing bacteria. E.g. Nostoc,
Anabaena, etc.
 Examples of Algae
Prominent examples of algae include:
 Ulothrix
 Fucus
 Porphyra
 Spirogyra
 Algal Biofuel
 Recent developments in science and technology have enabled
algae to be used as a source of fuel.
 Global demand for petroleum products and declining
environmental health has prompted the use of eco-friendly
alternatives such as algal biofuel.
 Hence, algae fuel is an increasingly viable alternative to
traditional fossil fuels.
 It is used to produce everything from “green” diesel to “green”
jet fuel.
 It is similar to the other biofuels made from corn and sugar-
cane
Economic and Medicinal Importance
Of Algae
A. Economic Importance
1. Primary Producers-
i. Algae are the main Oxygen producers in aquatic areas.
ii. They are also useful in decreasing water pollution by realizing
Oxygen.
iii. 10% of total photosynthesis carried out by plants is carried out by
the algae.

2. Algae as food-
i. Algae species are used as food in several countries and in several
forms.
ii. Algae species have proteins, vitamins (A, B, C and E), lipids, and
minerals.
iii. Laminaria species is the important edible seaweed in Japan and
the food item 'Kombu' is prepared from it.
3. Algae as fodder for cattle-
i. Laminaria saccharina, Pelvitia, Ascophyllum, etc. species are
used as food for cattle.

4. Algae as fertilizers-
i. Blue-green algae are treated as bio-fertilizers from olden
days.
ii. Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Scytonema, Spirulina, etc. are used as
fertilizers to rice fields.
iii. All these algae fix the atmospheric nitrogen.
iv. Cultivation of Spirulina is gaining importance as feed for
fish, poultry and cattle.
5. Algae in industry -
i. Iodine industry is mainly depended upon algae.
ii. Algae belonging to Phaeophyceae, like Laminaria, Ecklonia,
Eisenia, etc. are used in the industry to prepare iodine.

6. Antibiotics-
i. Antibiotic Chlorellin, obtained from Chlorella is effective against a
number of pathogenic bacteria.
ii. Extracts from Cladophora, Lyngbya can kill pathogenic
Pseudomonas and Mycobacterium.
iii. Laminaria is used as one of the modern tools for abortion.
iv. Seaweeds have beneficial effect on gall bladders, pancreas,
kidneys, uterus and thyroid glands.
7. Role of algae in sewage disposal-
i. Some species like Chlamydomonas, Scenedesmus, Chlorella,
Pondorhina, Euridina, etc. are living in sewage water.
ii. They are mainly useful to clean the water by releasing oxygen.
iii. They also modify the carbonate material in the water into N, P, K
fertilizers.

8. Algae as research material-

i. In biological research, algae are useful because of their rapid
growth, brief life span and easy mode of cultivation.
ii. Chlorella, Scenedesmus and Anacystis are used in investigations in
photosynthesis.
9. Algae recreational use-
i. Some select algae are grown in recreational areas like lakes
and streams along with fish.
ii. Trentophila giving reddish colour to land looks beautiful,
Oedocladium imparts valvety appearance to the soil,
Vaucheria gives parrot-green colour to gardens.

10. Algae as fertilizer-

i. Many algae increase the water-holding capacity besides
the addition of their chemical constituent in the soil.
ii. In India, Turbinaria is used around palm tree while as sea
weeds are used as compost.
B. Algae In Medicine
1. Brown algae mainly used in manufacture of various goitre
medicines due to their high iodine content. The main alga
used for this purpose include Sargassum and members of
Laminariales.

2. Some algae, like Gelidium are used for treatment of kidney,

bladder and lung diseases while Laminaria is used as
surgical tool in the opening of wound due to its gentle
swelling property.
3. Acetabularia major is used in treatment of kidney and
bladder problems.
4. Ulva is used in treatment of glandular troubles.
5. In Japan Spirogyra is used in manufacture of lens paper,
suitable for cleaning of optical instruments.
Difference between Cyanobacteria
and Algae