Algae : General Characters

Algae singular alga (Latin for “seaweed”)

• Primitive large and diverse group

of eukaryotic organisms with simple thalloid plant
body, ranging from unicellular genera such
as Chlorella to multicellular forms such as
the giant kelp, a large brown alga that may grow
up to 50 meters in length.
• Most are autotrophic,aquatic and possess
unicellular or multicellular sex organs not
enclosed by sterile jacket.
• Study of algae is known as Phycology
 Habitat

Aquatic Terrestrial Special

Sapophytes Epiphytes( Ulothrix),

(Vaucheria) Endophytes(Nostoc)
Freshwater Marine
Cryptophytes Epizoophytes (Lyngbya on sponges),
(Nostoc) Thermophytes (Phormidium),
Cryophytes (Haematococcus),
Symbiotic (Nostoc and cycas),
Parasitic ( Cephaleuros)
 Range of Thallus

Unicellular Multicellular

Motile Non-motile Palmelloid (Tetraspora)

(Chlamydomonas) (Chlorella)
Coenobial (Volvox)
Dendroid ( Ecballocystis)
Siphonaceous (Vaucheria)
Filamentous branched (Cladophora) & unbranched
(Oedogonium)
Foliaceous (Ulva)
Typical Algal Cell
 Pigment Distribution
Pigments Chlorophyta Xanthophyta Bacillariophyta Phaeophyta Rhodophyta Cyanophyta
Chlorophyll Chl a, b Chl a, e Chl a, c Chl a, c Chl a, d Chl a
Carotene α- β- β- β- β- β-
Carotene Carotene Carotene Carotene Carotene Carotene
β- ε- α-
Carotene. Carotene Carotene
γ-
Carotene
Xanthophyll Lutein, Violaxanthin Fucoxanthin Lutein Lutein Lutein
Violaxanthin Neoxanthin Diatoxanthin Violaxanthin Violaxanthin
Neoxanthin Diadinoxanthin Fucoxanthin Fucoxanthin
Astaxanthin
Zeaxanthin
Diatoxanthin Zeaxanthin
Taraxanthin
Biliproteins Phycocyanin Phycocyanin
Phycoerythrin Phycoerythrin
Allophyco- Allophyco-
cyanin
cyanin
 Reproduction
• Vegetative- Fragmentation, Budding,
Hormogonia, Propagules
• Asexual – Zoospores, Aplanospores,
Hypnospores, Autospores, Endospores,
Exospores, Nannocytes, Monospores, Akinetes
• Sexual Reproduction- Isogamy,
Anisogamy,Oogamy