This document discusses the vegetative structure and reproduction of the green alga Cladophora. It describes Cladophora's classification, occurrence in freshwater and marine habitats, and multicellular filamentous plant body. Reproduction occurs through both asexual and sexual means. Asexual reproduction includes fragmentation, rhizoids, stolons, and akinetes. Sexual reproduction involves the production of haploid zoospores that develop into gametophytes upon which gametes are produced.

1. Cladophora
Vegetative
Structure
and
Reproductio
n
Kamaljit Sidhu
Associate Professor
Department of Botany
Khalsa College for Women
Civil Lines
Ludhiana

2. Cladophora-Classification
• Division-Chlorophyta
• Class-Chlorophyceae
• Order-Cladophorales
• Family-Cladophoraceae
• Genus-Cladophora

3. Occurrence and Vegetative
Structure
• All species are aquatic , abundant in fresh water
and marine habitat
• Usually attached to the substratum and epizoic
• Common species-Cladophora glomerata
• This green alga is macroscopic
• Plant body multicellulae,filamentous,profusely
branched
• It is coarse and stringy to touch
• Species growing in stagnant water, not attached
to the substratum-aegagropilous
• Attached forms attached to the substratum by
rhizoidal cell

4. Cladohora-Branching
• Branches arise laterally from
the upper ends just below the
septum as a tubular outgrowth
• Outgrowth seperated from the
main thallus by formation of a
septum
• During the development the
main axis and the branch give
the appearance of dichotomy

5. Cladophora-Cell Structure
• Cells are
elongated,cylindrical,multinucleate
and coenocytic
• Each cell has a 3 layered cell wall
• Outer layer made of chitin
• Reticulate chloroplast
• Chloroplast associated with large
number of pyrenoids
• Centre of the cell occupied by a
large central vacuole

6. Reproduction

7. Vegetative Reproduction
•Storage cells-Rhizoids grow into the substratum , undergo
repeated cell divisions , produce short filaments , store food ,
thick walled, perennate over unfavourable conditions
•Fragmentation-Aegagropilous species filaments break into
small fragments and develop into seperate plants
•Stolons-Rhizoidal branches form stolons and grow into new
filaments

8. Asexual Reproduction
• Akinetes-Cells in larger branches become
filled with food materials and get swollen.
They develop thick and resistant walls
called akinetes which remain dormant
under unfavourable conditions,germinate
under favourable conditions
• Zoospores-zoospores produced inside the
terminal cells which behave as a
zoosporangium, zoospores are haploid,
produce gametophytic thallus

9. Sexual Reproduction

10. Life-Cycle

11. Life-Cycle