Algae
1. Characteristics of algal groups.
Algae range from unicellular to multicellular organisms. They are found in and around water, sometimes residing in moist soil. They also lack true stems, roots and leaves and have simple reproductive structures.
2. 3 representatives lines of algae
Diatoms, Brown algae, Dinoflagellates
3. Identify and state the function of the algae studied
It is food for some creatures and converts sunlight into usable energy. It is responsible for producing a sizable amount of oxygen and reducing the amount of Carbon dioxide. Brown algae in underwater, is called Kelp which some sea animals use as feeding grounds. Red algae can be found in a gel , Carrageenan that stabilize certain food products such as ice cream and pudding.
4. Common reproductive patterns in algae
Algae tend to reproduce asexually. One method is that some colonial algae produce colonies that are known as daughter colonies. These are produced inside the parent cell which eventually ruptures and releases the daughter colonies. The most common method is when a cell, sporangium produces new cells called spores within its cell walls.
5. Define
Chlorophylls a & b: Chlorophyll a is a specific form of chlorophyll used in oxygenic photosynthesis, converting solar energy to chemical energy. Chlorophyll b helps in photosynthesis by absorbing light energy
Fucoxanthin: a xanthophyll. It is found as an accessory pigment of the chloroplasts of brown algae giving them a brown or olive-green color.
Holdfast: a root-like structure that anchors aquatic organisms.
Stipe: a stalk that supports some other structure
Blades: an organ of a vascular plant
Phycobilins: Any of a class of water-soluble, mostly red, orange, and blue pigments found in cyanobacteria and red algae
Alternation of generations: the regular alternation of forms or of mode of reproduction in the life cycle of an organism, such as the alternation between diploid and...