General characters

Chlorophyll bearing thalloid organisms.

term algae (Latin — seaweeds) was first introduced by Linnaeus
primitive and simplest division of the plant kingdom
Study of algae- Phycology
Found in moist or wet places due to absence of “true roots” and vascular
tissue.
Microscopic or macroscopic
autotrophic in nature.
Reserve food is generally starch.
After photosynthesis, glucose is produced and consumed almost immediately,
the remaining glucose is converted into complex compounds called starch.
They have a cell wall composed of cellulose around their cells.
Sex organs are simple, unicellular, there is no embryo formation after
fertilization.
Based on habitat the algae may be categorized as:

1. Aquatic
2. Terrestrial
3. Algae of unusual habitats

Aquatic

Fresh water Marine

Slow running water Stagnant water Saline Waters

Cladophora Volvox Phaeophyceae
Ulothrix Hydrodictyon Ectocarpus
Oedogonium Spirogyra Rhodophyceae
Chara Chlamydomonas Polysiphonia
 Plankton-float On Surface Of Water
Freshwater-Diatoms,chlorella
Marine-actinocyclus, Chaetoceros
Phytoplankton Red Sea- Trichodesmium Erythrium

Benthos-bottom dwelling organisms

Chara, Nitella

Grow on moist well aerated soils, moist rocks and

logs
Sapophytes (surface of soil)-Vaucheria,
Botrydium, Fritschiella
Terrestrial
algae Cryptophytes (Under the surface of soil)-blue
green algae

Benthos-bottom dwelling organisms

Chara, Nitella
Algae of unusual habitats

1. Cryophytic Algae- algae growing on ice or snow provides attractive colours to snow-covered mountains.
•Red alpine and arctic mountains -Haemotococcous nivalis
•green snow in Europe -Chlamydomonas yellowstonensis.
•black colouration of snow-Scotiella nivalis and Raphidonema brevirostri
•brownish purple colouration of snow-Ancyclonema nordenskioldii

2. Epiphytic Algae- They grow on other plants including other algal members
Oedogonium, Coleochaete, Ulothrix- grow on grasses, sedges

3. Epizoic Algae- algae growing on animals like fish, snails, tortoises

•Stigeoclonium -gills of fishes.
•Cladophora crispata-shells of molluscs
•Basicladia-turtles

4. Endozoic Algae- grow in the tissues of animals

•Zoochlorella sp. -Hydra viridis.
•Blue green algae-intestinal and respiratory tracts of vertebrate animals

5. Symbiotic Algae- grow in association with fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms or angiosperms.

•Algae in association with fungi are Nostoc, Gloeocapsa, Rivularia
•members of Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae.
•symbiotic association of algae and fungi -lichen. Nostoc & Anthoceros and Anabaena with the roots of
Cycas to form coralloid roots.
Terrestrial algae

Cryophytic algae
Epiphytic algae

Epizoic algae
Endozoic algae

Symbiotic algae
Thermophytic Algae

Halophytic algae
Lithophytic Algae

Parasitic Algae
 Thallus Organisation

Thalli show a range of organisation

I. Unicellular
•Multicellular -plant body is differentiated into root-like, stem-like and leaf like
structures giving a higher plant-like appearance.
•size ranges from a few micron to several metres.

Unicellular Motile Unicellular Non motile/coccoid

• Found in all the groups of • Sedentary with several

algae except Rhodophyceae, shpaes
Bacillariophyceae, • Chlorophyceae-chlorella
Phaeophyceae, Myxophyceae • Cyanophyceae-spirulina
• One flagella-Chromulina • Smallest known eukaryotic
• two equal-Chlamydomonas algae-Micromonas pusilla
• two unequal-Cryptomonas
• Rhizopodia-Chrysamoeba
• Encapsulated forms-
calcarious envelope
Unicellular Algae
 II. Colonial-Aggregate of cells enclosed in mucilage envelope

Colonial

Coenobium Palmelloid Dendroid Rhizopodial

Definite number of cells non- motile cells remain Tree like
cells are united
with a definite shape and embedded in an Cells joined in a through rhizopodia.
arrangement amorphous gelatinous or branch like manner
e.g., Chrysidiastrum
Motile, Flagellated- mucilaginous matrix Production of (Chrysophyceae
Volvox mucilage at the base
Cyanophyceae- of each cell
Non-motile without Aphanotheca Chlorophyceae-
flagella-Hydrodictyon Chlorophyceae-Tetraspora Ecballocystis
Xanthophyceae-
Mischococcus
Cyanophyceae-
Cyanophyceae
Colonial algae
 III. Filamentous forms

•Cells are joined end to end

•May be unbranched, simple, branched or heterotrichous
•In Cyanophyceae- filament has trichome of uniseriate cells & mucilage sheath

1. Unbranched Filaments
•Cells arranged in single row (uniseriate)
•Attached to substratum with basal cell-hapteron/holdfast (oedogonium)
•Free floating-spirogyra
•Distinct polarity with trichome tapering towards tip-Rvularia
2. Branched Filaments
•2 types-true and false branching
•True branching-most of the forms exhibit due to lateral out growths developing into
branches
•Dichotomous branching in Cladophora due to evection (lateral branch pushed aside)
• False branching-trichomes may break either due to death or decay of the intercalary
cells. The broken ends emerge out of the mucilaginous sheath in the form of a branch.
Eg. Scytonemataceae, Cyanophyceae
3. Heterotrichous forms
•Highly evolved type habit
•Thallus differentiated into 2 parts
•Prostrate system of creeping filaments
•Erect system of several branched filaments
 •Eg. Fritschiella of Chlorophyceae, Ectocarpus of Phaeophyceae, Stigonema of
Cyanophyceae
•Erect system eliminated and prostrate system forms discoid thallus-Coleochaete scutata
•Prostrate system eliminated and erect system well develped-Draparnaldiopsis
4. Siphonous Forms
•thallus is aseptate and multinucleate with large central vacuole i.e., coenocytic.
•Eg. Chlorophyceae, Xanthophyceae
•Simplest thallus represented by Protosiphon having vesicle and rhizoid
•Vaucheria- coenocytic and aseptate branched tubular thallus

IV. Pseudoparenchymatous forms

• Develops from close juxtaposition of a single main filament and no.of lateral
filaments
• Uniaxial-close apposition of branches of single filament. Eg. Batrachospermum
• Compact thallus-Dumortia
• Multiaxial-branches of many axial filaments aggregate in juxtaposition. Eg. Nemalion
• Central filaments give rise to lateral branches and they become compact called
cortex. Eg. Codium, Polysiphonia

V. Parenchymatous Forms
• Derived from filamentous thallus as a result of vegetative divisions taking place in
more than one plane.
• Foliose and flat-Ulva
• Tubular-Enteromorpha
 Filamentous algae Siphonous Forms Heterotrichous forms

Fritschiella

Coleochaete scutata

Branched filamentous algae

Draparnaldiopsis
Siphonous algae

Parenchymatous algae
 Cell structure in Algae
Based on cell organisation- 2 types-prokaryrotic and eukaryotic
Prokaryotic-Cyanophyceae
Mesokaryotic-nucleus present but chromosomes are without histone proteins. Eg. Dinophyceae
1. Cell wall-made up of two layers
•Outer amorphic pectic layer
•Inner fibrillar cellulose
•Xanthophyceae-solely pectic substances present
•Phaeophyceae-hemicellulose, alginic acid, fucoidan and fucin
•Diatioms-silica and pectin
•BGA-mucopolymeric
2. Flagella-small filiform protoplasmic appendages
•Number vary from 1-4 to many(oedogonium, vaucheria)
Types
•Whiplash/acronematic-flagella have smooth surface and abruptly terminates in a fibril
•Tinsel/pleuronematic-surface of flagella covered with fine filamentous appendages called
mastigonemes or flimmers
Based in arrangement of mastigonemes again divided in to 3 types
•Pantonematic-arranged on either side of flagellum in 2 rows
•Stichonematic-develop on only one side of flagellum
•Pantocronematic-flagellum with terminal fibril
•Flagella of cells similar-isokont (Chlorophyceae)
•Flagella of cells dissimilar-heterokont (phaeophyceae, Xanthophyceae)
3. Plastids and chromatophores-well defined plastids present except in Cyanophyceae
•Plastids with chlorophyll a and b-chloroplasts
•Lack chlolorophyll b-chromatophores
•Cup shaped chloroplast-Chlamydomonas, Ulothrix
•Discoid-Vaucheria, Chara
•Reticulate-Oedogonium, spiral-Spirogyra, Stellate-Zygnema
4. Pigments
•Chlorophylls-5types (a,b,c,d and e)
•Chl.a –present in all groups
•Chl.b-only in chlorophyceae
•Chl.c-algae of marine habitats(Phaeophyceae, cryptophyceae, bacillariophyceae,
chrysophyceae)
•Chl.d-red algae
•Chl.e-xanthophyceae members like Vaucheria
•Carotenoids-carotenes+xanthophylls
•Accessory pigments
•Absorb blue & green light and act as screens to light
•Transfer light energy to chlorophyll
•Xanthophylls-more than 20types
•Fucoxanthin-phaeophyceae and diatoms
•Myxoxanthophyll&myxoxanthin-cyanophyceae
•Carotenes-5 types
•α carotene-chlorophyceae, cryptophyceae, rhodophyceae
•β carotene-present in all groups except in cryptophyceae
 •c carotene-chlorophyceae
•e carotene-bacillariophyceae,phaeophyceae,cyanophyceae
•Flavacene- cyanophyceae
•Phycobilins-water soluble pigments
•Red (phycoerythrin),Blue(phycocyanin)
•Confined to rhodophyceae and cyanophyceae
•Act as light harvesting pigments in photosynthesis
5. Pyrenoids-proteinaceous bodies found either within or on the surface of plastids
Storage of starch-green algae
6. Storage products-chlorophyceae-starch
•Rhodophyceae-floridean starch
•Cyanophyceae-cyanophycean starch
•Phaeophyceae-laminarin and mannitol
•Chrysophyceae, bacillariophyceae, xanthophyceae-leucosin
7. Golgi bodies-present in all except BGA
Composed of 2-20 lamellae or cisternae arranged in stacks
Stack is called dictyosome. function is not known but may be associated with formation of
cellulose cell wall.
8. Mitochondria-present in all groups except in BGA
9. Vacuoles-play important role in osmotic functions or absorption of solutes and water.
•Motile algae-2 types of vacuoles complex
•simple/contractile-show periodic contraction and expansion and throw waste products
out of cell
•Complex-consists of tube like cytopharynx, a large reservoir and group of vacuoles
(euglenophyceae, dinophyceae).
10. Eye spot or stigma-motile cells have pigmented spot
•Its an orange red streak like light sensitive photoreceptor organ
•New stigma arises denovo or by division of pre existing stigma
11. Nucleus-all groups have except cyanophyceae
•Most of algal cells are uninucleate
•Chromosomes are small, numerous and range from 5-48
•Division of nucleus may or may not be accompanied by wall formation.
 Reproduction
Three common methods of reproduction
1. Vegetative
2. Asexual
3. Sexual

1. Vegetative
Fission/cell division
•Simplest method
•Common in unicellular algae (Chlamydomonas, diatoms)
•Divides mitotically to form 2 daughter cells
•Each cell grows into independent organism
Fragmentation
•Occurs in filamentous algae
•Thallus breaks into small fragments
•Each fragment by repeated cell divisions gives new Fragmentation
filament
•May be due to mechanical pressure, dissolution of
transverse walls, death of intercalary cells.
•Eg. Ulothrix, spirogyra, oedogonium, nostoc

Hormogonia
•Occurs in BGA (Nostoc, Oscillatoria)
•trichomes break in to two or more motile segments called
‘hormogones’
•Formation is facilitated by formation of separation discs,
death and decay of intercalay cells of filament

Adventitious branches
Develop in large thalloid forms of algae
Branches when detach from parent thallus develop into
new plants
Eg. Dictyota, Fucus
Hormogone formation

Adventitious Branches
2. Asexual
•Involves regeneration of protoplasts to produce new
plants
•Similar to veg.rep in lower plants
•Involves division of protoplast in a cell and escaping of
daughter protoplasts from parent to produce new plants
•Daughter protoplasts-spores
•Cell producing spores-sporagium
•Sporangia similar to veg.cells-spirogyra,chlamydomonas
•Specialised-ectocarpus,polysiphonia

Algae reproduce asexually by producing variety of spores

1. Zoospores-motile naked structures
• Zoospore with one flagella-chlamydomonas,
ectocarpus
• With four flagella-Ulothrix
• With many flagella-oedogonium, vaucheria
• 2-32 zoospores produced in single sporangium
• Flagella in zoospores of phaeophyceae-unequal and
laterally inserted (ectocarpus)
• Diploid-in plurilocular sporangia of ectocarpus
• Haploid-in unilocular sporangia of ectocarpus
• Formed under extremely fav.conditions
2. Aplanospores-non motile, commonly found in
Aplanospores
terrestrial algae
•Aquatic algae also produce during drought
conditions(Ulothrix, Vaucheria, Chlamydomonas)
•Differ from zoospores in having a wall and non motile
•Thick walled aplanospores-hypnospores(Ulothrix,
Vaucheria)

3. Akinetes-Veg.cells develop into thick walled spore like Hypnospores

structure with abundant food reserves
•Additional wall layers around protoplasts present
•Formation is accompanied by gelatinization of parent wall
leads to their release
•Resistant to unfav.conditions
•Found in many green algae and BGA-Cladophora,
Ulothrix, Anabaena
4. Tetraspores-thin walled, non motile, haploid
spores after meiosis in a diploid sporangium Tetraspores

•Diploid plants of some red algae (Polysiphonia)

•Spores are formed in tetrads
•Germinate to form haploid plants
5. Auxospores-formed in diatoms
•Formation is induced by changes in temp, light
and nutritional factors
•Not actual spores but rejuvenescent cells that
accompany sexual reproduction
•In some cases produced apogamously (without
sex.rep)
•Auxospore is larger than veg. cell and
surrounded by two piece silicified wall-
perizonium
•Eg. Pinnularia, Thalassiosira rotula
Auxospores in Thalassiosira rotula
 Sexual Reproduction
•Occurs in all groups except in BGA
•Leads to recombination of genes
•Essential for maintaining vigour and vitality of species
•Occurs at the end of growing season
•Structure producing sex cells/gametes-gametangium
•Gametes from same thalli fuse together-homothallic
•Gametes from different thalli fuse together-heterothallic
•Gametes are haploid and uninucleate
•Naked in gymnogametes
•Gametes have thin walls and called as Calyptogametes-Chlamydomonas media
•Depending on type of gametes involved in fusion
1. Isogamy
2. Physiological anisogamy
3. Anisogamy
4. Oogamy
 1. Isogamy-occurs in all groups except in Rhodophyceae
•Fusing gametes are exactly similar in size, shape and structure-isogametes
•May be flagellated and motile-Chlamydomonas debaryanum, Ulothrix
•Non flagellated-Spirogyra

2. Physiological anisogamy-gametes are morphologically similar

One of the gamete is more motile and behaves as male-spirogyra, ectocarpus

3. Anisogamy-fusing gametes are similar in structure but differ in size

•Smaller gamete-male-more active
•Larger gamete-female-sluggish and have more reserve food
•Fusion may be lateral or by their anterior ends
•Eg. Chlamydomonas braunii, Ulva, Enteromorpha

4. Oogamy-most advanced type

•Egg/ovum/oosphere-large, non motile, filled with abundant food (female gamete)
•Sperms-small, motile (male gamete)
•In rhodophyceae-sperms are non motile
•Egg produced in oogonium, sperms produced in antheridium (volvox, oedogonium, chara,
vaucheria, polysiphonia)
•Fertilization may be internal-Sargassum, polysipphonia
•External-Fucus, Dictyota
•Female sex organ of rhodophyceae-Carpogonium (tubular receptive part trichogyne, basal
swollen region containing ovum proper)- coleochaete
•Charales-sex organs are complex –male globule and female nucule
 Life Cycles
Broadly classified into following types
1. Haplontic
2. Diplontic
3. Diplohaplontic
4. Diplobiontic

1. Haplontic life cycle

•Dominant haploid gametophytic stage

•Gamete fusion-diploid zygote

•Zygote undergo meiosis-4 meiospores -

haploid individuals.

•Commonly seen in chlorophyceae –

chlamydomonas, chara, oedogonium,

spirogyra, volvox
2. Diplontic life cycle

•Diploid plant body bearing diploid sex organs

(gametangia)

•Haploid gametes formed during meiosis

•Gametes unite to form diploid zygote

•Zygote-mitosis-diploid sporophytic phase

•Alternation of diploid plant with haploid

gametes

•Eg. Siphonales of chlorophyceae, fucales of

phaeophyceae
3. Diplohaplontic life cycle
• Two types of individuals (haploid
gametophyte and diploid sporophyte) with
clear alternation of generations
•Sporophytic plant produce sporangia which
produce haploid zoospores by meiosis
•Zoospores develop into haploid gametophytic
generation
•Gametophyte produces gametes
•Male and female gametes fuse to form the
diploid zygote
•There are two types of Diplohaplontic life
cycle
•Isomorphic : gametophytic and sporophytic
phase are morphologically similar [eg. Ulva,
Ectocarpus, Polysiphonia, Chaetophora]
•Heteromorphic : gametophytic and
sporophytic phase are morphologically
dissimilar Laminaria, Dictyota-Sporophyte is
large well developed dominant, bears diploid
sporangia
•Urospora-gametophyte is large while
sporophyte is small
4. Diplobiontic life cycle

Most complex and advanced type of life cycle in algae

• Life cycle is triphasic with one haploid phase and two diploid phases
• The life cycle includes
A. Carposporophyte – diploid [2n]
B. Gameophyte – haploid [n]
C. Tetresporophyte – diploid [2n]
• Diploid zygote divide mitotically to form diploid carpospophytic phase (gonimoblast
filaments)
• Carposporophyte produce diploid carpospores [2n]
• Carposporophyte germinate into diploid tetrasporophytic phase
• Tetrasporophyte produce haploid tetraspores by meiosis
• Tetraspore germinate into the haploid male & female gametophytic generation
• Gametophytic generation produce male and female gametes
• Gametes fuse to form diploid zygote
• Thus in Diplobiontic life cycle, two diploid phase [carposporophyte and
tetrasporophyte] alternate with haploid gametophytic phase
• Eg. Rhodophyceae - Polysiphonia
 CLASSIFICATION
Felix Eugen Fritsch classified algae into 11 classes based on
•type of pigments
•nature of reserve food material
•Mode of reproduction

1. Chlorophyceae
2. Xanthophyceae
3. Chrysophyceae
4. Bacillariophyceae
5. Cryptophyceae
6. Dinophyceae
7. Chloromonodineae
8. Euglinineae
9. Phaeophyceae
10. Rhodophyceae
11. Myxophyceae
Class –1 Chlorophyceae
•Green algae-chl a & b
•Grow in fresh water (90%), some are marine (siphonales, ulvales)
•Wide range in thallus structure and morphology
•Cellulosic cellwall, in Chara, impregnated with calcium carbonate
•Chloroplasts associated with pyrenoids
•Starch is reserve food material
•If flagella present-equal length,inserted at anterior end
•Veg.rep by cell division, fragmentation, by akinetes (cladophora)
•Asexual rep by zoospores
•Sex.rep-isogam(cladophora), anisogamy(eudorina),oogamy(volvox, oedogonium, vaucheria)
•Sex organs-unicellular/multi (chara).only diploid str is zygote
•Based on morphology&reproductive characters-9orders
1. Volvocales(volvox)
2. Chlorococcales(hydrodictyon)
3. Ulotrichales(ulothrix)
4. Oedogoniales(oedogonium)
5. Cladophorales(cladophora)
6. Chaetophorales(chaetophora)
7. Conjugales(spirogyra)
8. Siphonales(caulerpa)
9. Charales(chara)
Class –2 Xanthophyceae
•Yellow green algae-carotenoids
•Fresh water planktonic forms/epiphytes
•Unicellular motile-chlorochromonas
•Palmelloid-chlorococcus
•Coccoid-botrydiopsis
•Colonial-pelagocystis
•Filamentous-tribonema
•Siphonaceous-vaucheria
•Cell wall-pectic substances
•Cell has many discoid chromatophores, pyrenoids
absent
•Main photo.syn pigments-chl a & e. chl b absent.
Carotenes & xanthophylls abundantly present
•Oil fat-main reserve food materials, starch absent
•Reproduction-veg, asexual, sexual (vaucheria).
•Motile cells (zoospores) with two unequal flagella
•Acc to Fritsch-4 orders
1. Hetero chloridales (chlorachnion)
2. Heterococcales (botrydiopsis)
3. Heterotrichales (tribonema)
4. Heterosiphonales (botrydium, vaucheria)
Class –3 Chrysophyceae
•Golden algae-planktonic unicells
•Small fresh water flagellates-accessory pigment
phycochrysin
•Unicellular with two unequal flagella originate
in anterior side (ochromonas-amoeboid
movement)
•Cell wall may or may not be present. If present
consists of two overlapping halves like diatoms
•Cells can form silica but stored with in the cell
instead of cell wall
•Asexual rep by both motile and non motile
spores
•Motile spores are biflagellate
•Sex rep is rare-chromulina, chrysamoeba
Class –4 Bacillariophyceae
•Unicellular planktonic forms-diatoms
•Cell is box shaped with two overlapping halves-
epitheca and hypotheca
•Cell wall is silicified and ornamented
•Cells are diploid, radially symmetrical
(centrales)/bilaterally symmetrical (pennales)
•Chromatophores are yellow or golden brown in
colour with chl a and c. β-carotene and xanthophylls
like fucoxanthin and diatomin.
•Fat and volutine (protein)-reserve food materials
•Sex.rep-formation of auxospores (special
rejuvenescent cells)
•Male gamete of centrales has single pantonematic
flagellum
•2orders-1.Centrales-cyclotella,2.Pennales-pinnularia
Class –5 Cryptophyceae
•Small (10-50 μm) unicellular algae
•Found in marine and fresh water
environments
•Cells are flattened in shape with anterior
groove. Two unequal flagella at the edge
of groove
•Cell has 1 or 2 large parietal chloroplasts
with diverse colors with brown shade
•Pigments-chl a, e and phycobilins
•Sex rep is isogamous-cryptomonas,
chilomonas
Class –6 Dinophyceae
•Unicellular, motile with tendency towards
filamentous habit
•Free living, symbiotic/parasitic organisms
•Cell wall is thick and sculptured
•Chromatophores –discoid, dark brown in color
•Reserve food material –starch and oil
•Motile cells with two unequal flagella
•Characteristic nucleus (mesokaryon) present
as chromosomes are condensed without
histones
•Sex. Rep is rare-Heterocapse, ceratium,
peridinium
Class –7 Chloromonadinae
•Small euk.algae, occur in both marine and
fresh waters. Fresh water forms are more
common in acidic waters
•Unicelluar (50-100 μm) with two equal
flagella lying within ventral groove
•Do not possess photoreceptor cell organell
and eye spot
•Numerous ellipsoidal chloroplasts with chl
a, c and c2
•Acc.pigments-β-carotene and
diadinoxanthin
•Oily reserve products-trentonia,
gonyostomum
•Now termed as Raphidophytes and placed
under xanthophyceae
Class –8 Euglenophyceae
•Unicellular, flagellate, fresh water organisms with
both plant and animal characters
•Mostly fresh water, solitary, free swimming in
stagnant waters
•Cells are motile with one or two cilia, nucleus, one
or two contractile vacuole, chloroplast and eye spot
•Cell wall absent but body covered by thin flexible
pellicle
•Anterior part of cell bears an invagination
consisting of cytostoma (cell mouth), cyto pharynx
(gullet) and reservoir
•In absence of sunlight, behave as heterotrophs
feeding on smaller organisms
•Rep. is by longitudinal binary fission-euglena,
heteronema
Class –9 Phaeophyceae
•Brown algae-brown xanthophyll pigments,
fucoxanthin and diatoxanthin
•Found in shallow waters of intertidal zones of rocky
coastlines
•Exhibit highest degree of body differentiation
•Unicellular and colonial forms are absent
•Plant are bulky and parenchymatous with complex
external and internal differentiation (hold fast, stipe
and leaf blades)
•Simplest-filamentous-heterotrichous habit-
ectocarpus
•Air bladders commonly found
•Reserve food material-laminarin (soluble starch)
and mannitol (sugar alcohol)
•Cell wall include alginic acid and fucinic acid
•Rep. cells are pyriform with two laterally
inserted flagella-tinsel and whiplash
•Sex. Rep ranges from isogamy to oogamy
9 orders
1. Ectocarpales-ectocarpus
2. Tilopteridales-tilopteris
3. Cutleriales-cutleria
4. Sporochnales-sporochnus
5. Desmarestiales-desmarestia
6. Laminariales-laminaria
7. Sphacelariales-halopteris
8. Dictyotales-dictyota
9. Fucales-fucus, sargassum
Class –10 Rhodophyceae
•Red algae-water soluble red pigment r-phycoerythrin, Marine growing in sub littoral regions
•Thallus organisation
•Unicellular-porpphyridium
•Palmelloid-asterocystis
•Uniaxial filamentous branched-batrachospermum
•Multiaxial filamentous branched-polysiphonia
•Multicellular pseudo parenchymatous-gelidium
•Photosyn.pigments-chl a & d, α- β-carotenes, xanthophylls and biliproteins
•Reserve food material-floridean starch
•Rep. by asexual and sexual. Asexual rep. by production of non motile spores(monospores,
neutral spores, carpospores, tetraspores)
•Sex. Rep is oogamous type. Male sex organ-antheridium(spermatangia), female sex organ
(carpogonium)
•Spermatangia-non motile male spermatia which are carried to carpogonium through water
currents
•Carpogonium-flask shaped with swollen base
containing egg nucleus and an elongated
trichogyne
•Post fertilization changes-formation of haploid
gonimoblast filaments and diploid
carposporangia
•Entire structure enclosed within cystocarp.
•Carposporangia-carpospores-diploid
sporophyte-tetrasporophyte-haploid tetraspores
in tetrasporangia-haploid gametophytes
•Based on post fetilization changes-2 sub classes
I. Bangioideae-thallus simple, sex organs less
specialised, zygote undergoes meiosis-
haploid carpospores-Bangia, porphyra
II. Florideae-thallus uni or multi axial,
filamentous, carposporangia-diploid
carpospores. This subclass again divided into
6 orders
1. Nemalionales-batrachospermum
2. Cryptonemiales-cryptonemia
3. Gigartinales-gigartina
4. Rhodomeniales-rhodomenia
5. Ceramiales-polysiphonia
6. Gelidiales- Gelidium corneum
Class –11 Cyanophyceae
Blue green algae-bluish green c-phycocyanin-chl a, β-carotene, c-phcoerythrin
Fresh water and terrestrial habitats
Unicellular-chroococcus, colonial-gleocapsa, filamentous-oscillatoria,nostoc,scytonema
Cells are prokaryotic without a definite nucleus and other cell organells
Reserve food material-special type of starch-cyanophycean starch & protein-cyanophycean
granules
Nostoc, scytonema-specialised cells-heterocysts present which may be terminal or intercalary in
position-biological nitrogen fixation
Rep. by veg & asexual methods. Sex.rep absent. Flagellated str. Not formed
5 orders-
1. Chroococcales-chroococcus, gloeocapsa
2. Chamaesiphonales-democarpa
3. Pleurocapsales-pleurocapsa
4. Nostocales-nostoc, oscillatoria, spirulina
5. Stigonematales-stigonema