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Questions and Answers
Which of the following pigments is present in all algae?
Which of the following is a type of Carotenoid?
Which phycobiliprotein has an absorption maximum at a wavelength of 620 nm?
What is the food storage product in Chlorophyta?
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Which of the following is not a cell wall component in algae?
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In which class of algae are flagella completely absent?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of Chlorophyta?
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Which of the following pigments is found in Rhodophyta?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of Bacillariophyta?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of Phaeophyta?
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Study Notes
Algae Characteristics
- Algae are primary producers, using sunlight to convert inorganic substances into simple organic compounds (e.g., 6 CO2 + 6H2O + light + Chlorophyll → 6C6H12O6 + 6O2)
- They are extremely important organisms because they produce oxygen and provide the basis of food webs on Earth
Comparison with Plants
- Both algae and plants are photoautotrophic and have similar metabolic functions
- They share similar storage compounds and defense strategies against parasites and predators
- However, plants have a higher degree of differentiation with roots, leaves, stems, and xylem/phloem vascular networks
- Plants also have reproductive organs surrounded by a jacket of sterile cells, a multicellular diploid embryo stage, and produce tissue with a wide variety of shapes
Types of Algae
- Aquatic algae: found in aquatic environments, including phytoplankton (floating) and benthic algae (attached to surfaces)
- Phytoplankton includes euphytoplankton (true phytoplankton) and merophytoplankton (benthic algae that become roaming due to environmental conditions)
- Benthic algae are categorized ecologically by their attachment to clay (epipelic), sand (epipzamic), or rocks (epilithic)
- Terrestrial algae: found on land
- Aerial algae: found in the air, including reproductive units of algae and those found on tree bark and leaf surfaces
- Endosymbiotic algae: live inside other organisms, such as protozoa, animals, fungi, or plants
Phycology
- Phycology is the study of algae, including their cells, structure, function, life cycles, ecology, and other properties
- Also known as algology, it is a subfield of botany
Classification of Algae
- Based on five criteria:
- Photosynthetic pigments
- Nature of food reserves
- Nature of cell wall components
- Type, number, and attachment of flagella
- Cell structure
Photosynthetic Pigments
- Chlorophylls: present in all algae, with different types (a, b, c, d, and e) found in various classes
- Carotenoids: include carotene (orange) and xanthophyll (yellow)
- Phycobiliproteins: include phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin, and phycoerythrocyanin
Food Storage Products
- Various classes of algae have different food storage products, including starch, oils, chrysolaminarin, leucosin, cyanophycean, laminarin, mannitols, and floridian starch
Cell Wall Composition
- Cellulose, xylens, mannans, sulphated polysaccharides, alginic acids, silicon dioxide, and calcium carbonate are all found in different classes of algae
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