This document is a report on algae written by Bhargavi Dutta for her M.Sc in Biotechnology. It discusses the key characteristics and types of algae. Algae are a diverse group of photosynthetic organisms that live in water and vary in size from microscopic to large seaweeds. They are classified based on their color, food storage product, structure and reproduction. The five main types of algae are diatoms, green algae, blue-green algae, brown algae, and red algae. Algae play an important ecological role and also have applications in areas like biofuels and food additives.

1. KKiinnggddoomm PPllaannttaaee
AAllggaaee......
Bhargavi Dutta
M.Sc Biotechnology
I Semester
2014-2016
27/09/14
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 1

2. CCOONNTTEENNTTSS
1. Introduction to algae
2. General characteristics
3. General structure
4. Classification
5. Types of algae
i. Diatoms
ii. Green algae
iii. Blue green algae
iv. Brown algae
v. Red algae
6. Reproductions of algae
7. Recent development
8. References
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 2

3. AAllggaaee
Phycology is the study of
algae
most live in water attached to
rocks or free floating
 use sunlight for
photosynthesis (chlorophylls a
and b…. like true plants)
 main food producers in the
oceans
 important suppliers of oxygen
DDiiaattoommss –– uusseedd iinn
ddeetteerrggeennttss,, ppaaiinntt
rreemmoovveerrss,, ttooootthhppaassttee
GGoollddeenn aallggaaee
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 3

4. GGeenneerraall CChhaarraacctteerriissttiiccss
Range in size from microscopic to single celled organisms to
large seaweed
Autotrophic
Form the reproductive structures – gametangia or gamete
chambers
Aquatic and have flagella at some point in life
Often contain pyrenoids, organelles that synthesis and store
starch
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 4

5. November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 5

6.  Some algal divisions can also be classified as
bacteria, protozoa, but most are classified as
protista.
 Only green algae are true plants in the evolutionary
sense.
Primitive plants
No true roots, only attachment structures
(Holdfasts)
Produce spores (not seeds)– motile or non-motile
Most have sexual and asexual reproduction
Non-vascular, do not possess an internal transport
systNeomvem.ber 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 6

7. Algae are found in the fossil record dating back to
approximately 3 billion years in the Precambrian .
Almost all the algae are eukaryotes and conduct
photosynthesis within membrane bound structure
called chloroplasts, which contain DNA.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 7

8. GGEENNEERRAALL SSTTRRUUCCTTUURREE
Thallus (haploid)
Four types of algae
– Unicellular
– Colonial
– Filamentous
– multicellular
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 8

9. BBooddyy ppllaann ooff AAllggaaee......
Laminaria (kelp)
Blade
(fronds)
Stipe
Holdfast
The plant body of an
alga is called the
thallus (pl. thalli)
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 9

10. Erect thallus forms: Thallus, from Latinized Greek (thallos),
meaning a green shoot or twig, is an undifferentiated vegetative
tissue (leaves, roots, and stems) of some non-mobile organisms such
as Chara and Nitella.
NoveCmbhear r27a, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 10

11. 1. Unicells: single cells,
motile with flagellate (like
Chlamydomonas and
Euglena) or nonmotile (like
Diatoms).
2. Colonies:
Assemblage of individual cells with
variable or constant number of cells
that remain constant throughout
the colony life in mucilaginous
matrix (containing an extracellular
matrix made of a gelatinous
glycoprotein), these colonies may be
motile (like Volvox and Pandorina) or
nonmotile (like Scendesmus and
Pediastrum). Volvox
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 11

12. 3. Filaments:
Daughter cells remain attached
after cell division and form a
cell chain; adjacent cells share
cell wall maybe unbranched
(uniseriate such as Zygnema and
Ulthrix) or branched (regular
mutiseriate such as Cladophora
or unreguler mutiseriate such as
Pithophora).
Cladophora
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 12

13. CCllaassssiiffiiccaattiioonn ooff aallggaaee......
Color
Type of storage
product (food)
Thallus (size
structure)
Reproduction
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 13

14. November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 14

15. 55 TTyyppeess ooff AAllggaaee
The five algal phyla are:
Bacillariophyta (Diatoms)
Chlorophyta (Green Algae)
Cyanopyta (Blue-Green Algae)
Chrysophyta (Yellow-Green Algae)
Rhodophyta (Red Algae)
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 15

16. PPhhyylluumm BBaacciillllaarriioopphhyyttaa ((DDiiaattoommss))
 Produce a brownish to gold color in the
field.
 Cell wall is formed from silica.
 Valve single, Frustiule double
 Punctae in rows called striae.
 Motile and non motile.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 16

17. PPhhyylluumm CChhlloorroopphhyyttaa ((ggrreeeenn aallggaaee))
Most abundant widely
distributed of all algae
unicellular multicellular
approx. 6000 species
contain cholorphylls (like
higher plants)
store starch in their cells
(like higher plants)
Believed higher plants
evolved from green algae. November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 17

18. PPhhuulluumm CCyyaannooppyyttaa ((BBlluuee--GGrreeeenn
AAllggaaee))
Cyanobacteria since they are prokaryotic
Olive green, bluish green, brown
Smell musty
Filamentous forms most common
Nutrient Enriched Oscillatoria
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 18

19. PPhhyylluumm PPhhaaeeoopphhyyttaa ((bbrroowwnn aallggaaee))
Many species grow in cool waters
along rocky coasts (anchored to
rocks by their root-like parts
gas-filled structures that function
as floats ).
Brown algae are an important source
of iodine.
Can be used as fertilizer or as food for
humans. Other species are a source of
algin, which is used to thicken ice cream
and other foods.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 19

20. PPhhyylluumm RRhhooddoopphhyyttaa ((rreedd aallggaaee))
Multicellular but not
as large as the largest
brown algae
More complex than
other forms of algae
Most live in salt water
but in warmer waters
and greater depths
Vibrant colors,
feathery
Cell walls contain
cellulose as well as other
substances like agar
(thickener in foods like
ice cream, puddings, and
cake icing; medium on
which bacteria and fungi
are grown in
laboratories)
Carrageenan is another
product of red algae
which is a type of
stabilizing agent used to
prevent separation of
food mixtures (i.e.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microcbhio/oAlcgaoelate and milk) 20

21. RReepprroodduuccttiioonn ooff AAllggaaee
Sexual
gametes unite to form
a zygote (sperm/egg)
Asexual
No gametes (no union
of cells)
Mitosis (unicellular cell
may divide into two
new cells)
Most sexual reproduction
is triggered by
environmental stress.
Sexual Reproduction
Meiosis
Zoospores
Plus and minus gametes
Zygospore
Asexual Reproduction
i. Fragmentation
ii. Spores
iii. Binary fission
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 21

22. November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 22

23. Reproduction iinn MMuullttiicceelllluullaarr AAllggaaee
Oedogonium reproduction
– Antheridium-release flagellated sperm
that swim to the oogonium.
– Oogonium-houses the zygote which is a
diploid spore.
– The spore undergoes meiosis and
produces 4 haploid zoospores. One of
the four cells becomes a rootlike
holdfast the others divide and become
a new filament.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 23

24. Spirogyra rreepprroodduuccee sseexxuuaallllyy bbyy
ccoonnjjuuggaattiioonn
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 24

25. RREECCEENNTT DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTT
1. Amazing discovery of green algae which could save
the world from global warming.
A team working on board the Royal Navy’s HMS
Endurance off the coast of Antarctica have
discovered tiny particles of iron are released into
the sea as the ice melts.
The iron feeds algae, which blooms and sucks up
damaging carbon dioxide (CO2), then sinks, locking
away the harmful greenhouse gas for hundreds of
years.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 25

26.  However, the new findings show the mechanism has actually
been operating naturally for millions of years within the
isolated southern waters.
 Researchers being granted permission by the UN to move
ahead with the experiment.
2. Algal biofuels
 As the realistic replacement of all vehicular fuel with
biofuels by using algae that have a natural oil content
greater than 50%, and can be grown on algae ponds at waste
water treatment plants.
These oil-rich algae can then be extracted from the
system and processed into biofuels, with the dried
remainder further reprocessed to create ethanol.
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 26

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28. RReeffeerreennccee
Introduction :
http://oregonstate.edu/instruction/bot516/pdf/F
all_04/Lec_02_Eukaryotic_algae.pdf ( 11:00 am,
21/09/14 )
http://moritz.botany.ut.ee/~olli/aldoc/BigQuestio
ns.pdf ( 11:14 am, 21/09/14 )
General characteristics :
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/biology/micr
obiology/the-unicellular-algae/general-characteristics-
of-algae ( 11:25 am, 21/09/14 )
Prescott Harley Klein’s Microbiology 7th ( pg; 224-
225)
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 28

29.  Recent development in algae
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S13640
32113006801 ( 1: 15 pm, 22/09/14 )
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/9411/research
ers-publish-survival-of-the-fattest-algae-discovery ( 1:18
pm, 22/09/14 )
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 29

30. TTHHEE EENNDD
Thank you !!!
November 27, 2014 Bhargavi/M.sc BT/Microbio/Algae 30