KEMSEN World of Botany

Exploring the Plants from Roots to Petals & Bridging the Gap b/w Plants and People

Algae Phycology
Algae are defined as a group of predominantly aquatic, photosynthetic Protists, and nucleus-bearing organisms
that lack the true roots, stems, leaves, and specialized multicellular reproductive structures of plants
(Thallophytes).
History: Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and scientist, is considered the father of algae. He was the first to
describe and classify algae in his book "Historia Plantarum" in the 4th century BCE.
Carl Linnaeus coined the term algae (1753).
Classification: Algae possess diverse characters in their pigments, nature of reserve food, nature of cilia etc.
According to these morphological and physiological differences they are classified by many people.
Fritsch (1935) classified the whole of the algae into Eleven Classes on the basis of type of pigments, nature of
reserve food material, mode of reproduction etc. The classification is published in his book titled
“The Structure and Reproduction of Algae”. They are:
Class Pigments Flagella Reserve Food Examples
Chlorophyceae Chlorophyll a & b Flagella (2-4) Starch Chlamydomonas, Volvox,
Green Algae & Carotenoids Chlorella, Scenedesmus
Xanthophyceae Chl a & b 2 Unequal Oil Vaucheria
Yellow Green Algae Xanthophyll is Flagella (Pyrenoids absent)
predominant
Chrysophyceae Chlorophyll a & b 2 Unequal Laminaran Ochromonas
Golden-Brown Algae & Carotenoids Flagella Chrysosphaera
Bacillariophyceae Chlorophyll a & c 1 Flagella Fat Pinnularia
Diatoms & Carotenoids (Only In Male) Volutin
Cryptophyceae Chl a & c 2 Unequal Starch Chroomonas
Cryptomonads Xanthophyll is Flagella
predominant
Dinophyceae Chl a & c 2 Unequal Starch Dinoflagellate
Pyrrophyta Xanthophyll is Flagella Oil
predominant
Chloromonadineae Chl a & b 2 Equal Flagella Oil Heterosigma
Raphidophytes Xanthophyll is
predominant
Euglenophyceae Chl a & b 1 or 2 Flagella Polysaccharide Euglena
Euglinids Paramylon
Phaeophyceae Chl a, c, 2 Unequal Mannitol as well as Ectocarpus
Brown Algae Carotenes, Flagella Laminarin and Fats Sargassum
Xanthophylls, Kelps
Not chl b
Rhodophyceae Phycoerythrin & No Flagella Floridean Starch Batrachospermum,
Red Algae Phycocyanin, Chl- Polysiphonia
a, d & Carotenes
Myxophyceae Chlorophyll, No Flagella Sugars Oscillatoria
Cyanophyceae or Blue Carotenes, Glycogen Nostoc
Green Algae Xanthophylls,
Phycocyain &
Phycoerythrin

Economic Importance Life Cycles in Algae

Agar – Agar: Gelidium,Gracillaria, Gigartina A. Haplontic life cycle:
Alginic Acid: Laminaria Present in charophyta, spirogyra, Ulothrix,
Carragenin: Chondrus crispus Chlamydomonas and Oedogonium
Iodine: Kelps B. Diplohaplontic life cycle:
Fodder: Kelps, Sargassum Ulva, Cladophora and Ectocarpus
Antibiotics: Chlorellin from Chlorella C. Haplobiotic or Haplohaplontic:
Minerals: Kelps and Sea-Weeds Primitive Red Algae Nemalion
Sewage disposal Chlamydomonas, D. Haplohaplohaplontic: Batrachospermum
Euglena and Chlorella E. Diplodiplohaplontic: Polysiphonia

KEMSEN Competitive Exam Preparations