SPIROGYRA

• Occurance:
• Spirogyra is a green algae belonging to the class
chlorophyceae
• The genus Spirogyra have more than 300 species and most of
them are free floating algae. However, some species are found
attached to substratum by the means of rhizoids (holdfast).
• They are commonly found floating on stagnant fresh water
resources like ponds, lake, ditches etc. and some are also
found in slow running stream or river.
• It is widely distributed green algae, it is commonly called pond
scum as it is found floating on stagnant water like pond.
• It grows mostly during rainy season and late winter.
 Systematic Position of Spirogyra
• Plantae
Chlorophyta / Algae
Chlorophyceae
Conjugales
Zygnemaceae
Spirogyra
Vegetative Structure of Spirogyra
• The vegetative structure or plant body is known as thallus.
Thallus is an unbranched multicellular filamentous structure
formed by arrangement of cylindrical cells end to end in a single
row.
• Each cell is covered by cell wall. Cell wall is double layered, outer
layer is made up of pectin and inner layer is made up of cellulose.
 Outside to the cell wall, there is layer of
mucilaginous sheath which make the organism
slippery. So, they are commonly called as water silk
as they are slimy in nature.
• The protoplasm consists of plasma membrane,
cytoplasm, nucleus and large central vacuole.
Plasma membrane is semi- permeable in nature.
• Cytoplasm are distributed toward periphery due to
presence of central large vacuole.
• Vacuole is filled with fluids called cell sap.
• Each cell contains one or more spirally coiled
ribbon like chloroplast in the cytoplasm and a large
round central nucleus suspended by cytoplasmic
strands.
•The genus acquired its name Spirogyra
due to the presence of spiral shaped,
ribbon like long chloroplast
• Small round or spherical protein made
structures present in chloroplast are
known as pyrenoids which stores starch
around them.
• Cytoplasm show streaming movement or
cyclosis.
• Cytoplasm consist different cell
organelles like golgi-bodies, mitochondria,
ribosome, endoplasmic reticulum etc.
LIFE CYCLE / Reproduction in Spirogyra
Spirogyra is chlorophillous, autotrophic thallophytes found floating on stagnant
fresh water.
Spirogyra reproduce by following methods :
• Vegetative reproduction: Fragmentation
• Asexual reproduction: Akinete, and Aplanospore formation
• Sexual reproduction by Conjugation.
Vegetative reproduction in Spirogyra:
It takes place by fragmentation. It is the common mode of reproduction in
Spirogyra. Any mechanical damage in the filament or death of some intercalary cell
can result in fragmentation. Each fragment bearing few living cell can grow into new
filament by repeated cell division.
Asexual reproduction in Spirogyra:
It is very rare mode of reproduction. It usually occurs under unfavorable condition
where spirogyra produce asexual spores. Two types of asexual spore are formed-
Akinetes and Aplanospore.
•Akinetes: It is a thick walled resting spore formed during unfavorable conditions
among some species of Spirogyra . When the environmental condition become
adverse for the organism then some vegetative cells of the filament store large
amount of food materials and produce thick protective layer around themselves and
act as resting spore called akinetes. On return of favorable condition, it germinate
into new filament.
•
Aplanospore: It is a thin walled non-motile asexual spore
produced under unfavorable condition by few species of
Spirogyra. Vegetative cell after losing water get rounded up,
secrete thin wall around and develop into spore. Single
aplanospore formed in single cell. Aplanospore are released after
decay of mother filament and germinate into new filament on
arrival of favorable condition
 Sexual reproduction in Spirogyra:
• It usually occurs by zygospore formation by conjugation during favorable
condition.
• Conjugation is the process of fusion of two gametes produced by two opposite
strain. One strain which donate gamete is considered as male while other one is
considered as female.
• The two gamete produced are morphologically similar and are known as
Isogamete. So, this sexual reproduction is called Iso-gamous.
• However, at the time of conjugation male gamete become active and motile and
female gamete passive and non-motile, so physiologically reproduction is aniso-
gamous.
• In Spirogyra sexual reproduction is of two types:
I. Scalariform: It take place between the cells of two different filaments
of opposite strain.
– At the time of conjugation two opposite strain are attracted toward each
other and lie parallel in close contact under common sheath of mucilage.
– The cell of opposite filament behaves as gamentangia and produce a
tubular outgrowth called papillae. The papillae elongate and fused through
anterior end with papillae of opposite filament forming conjugation tube.
• The conjugation tube is hollow structure formed as enzyme
cytase dissolve the wall joining the two papillae.
• Several conjugation tube may appear along the length of
filament giving ladder like appearance. So, this conjugation is
known as scalariform conjugation.
• At the same time the protoplast of conjugating cell lose water,
accumulate starch and function as gamete.
• Among two gametes, male gamete is motile and active while female
gamete is stationary.
• Male gamete squeezes through conjugation tube and pass into
another filament and get fused with female gamete forming
zygote.
The zygote produces thick wall around it forming Zygospore. One
filament form series of zygospore while other filament become
vacant. Zygospore under suitable condition germinate into new
filament.
II. Lateral conjugation: It occurs between the cells of same
filament among homothallic species of Spirogyra. It occurs by two
methods:
a) Indirect lateral conjugation: In this method, two adjacent cells of
same filament develop lateral outgrowth. Due to lateral
outgrowth and enzymatic activities the septum between the
cells breaks forming conjugation tube.
• The male gamete moves through the conjugation tube and
fused with female gamete forming zygote or zygospore, which
develop into new filament.
b) Direct lateral conjugation: It is primitive type of
conjugation occurring in few species. In this type, lower cell of
the two adjacent cells get enlarged and form barrel shaped
female gamete, while other behave as male gamete. The male
gamete migrates to another cell by the formation of small pore
in septum wall and get fused with female gamete to form
diploid zygospore.
 Germination of Zygospore in Spirogyra:
• zygospore are thick walled sexual spore. It is a diploid (2n) spore
and is releases after decay of the female filament.
• It is a resting spore and resistant to unfavorable environmental
condition.
• Under suitable condition zygospore germinate. Before germination,
diploid nucleus of zygote divides meiotically into haploid
nucleus. Three of which degenerate and only one become
functional. During germination outer wall of spore absorb
water swells up and burst exposing inner layer as cylindrical
germ tube.
• The germ tube divides transversally to form two celled structure.
Lower cell form rhizoids and attached to substratum while
upper cell divides repeatedly to form new filament. The
filament gets detached from the substratum and become free
floating Spirogyra.
 Economic importance of Spirogyra:
• Spirogyra is used in the purification of raw sugar.
• In some places dry form of Spirogyra is used to make
soup.
• It act as producer in aquatic habitat where it helps to
food and Oxygen to other living organisms of that
habitat.
• It helps to maintain the amount of dissolved oxygen ( DO)
and dissolved carbon dioxide in aquatic habitat.
• It helps to increase the fertility of soil after its
decomposition.
• It helps to suppress the growth of germs which may
causes water born diseases etc.
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