Blue Green Algae Flashcards
Divison
Cyanophyta or Cyanobacteria
Class
Cyanophyceae
Characteristics
Pigment: Chlorophyl a and phycoblins (B carotene and Xanthophyll)
No flagella
Ultrastructure
prokaryotic (no true nucleus)
Stromatolites
fossil forms of blue/green algae thought to be responsible for the accumulation of oxygen in the earth’s atm
Ubiquitous
grows everywhere
Water/Algae Bloom
growth in abundance to the point of water discoloration
Pseudovacuoles
gas-filled, keeps algae floating during water blooms
Gelatinous matrix
visible or not
Reproduction: Favorable Conditions
endospores (goes through mitosis) (cells get bigger)
Reproduction: Unfavorable Conditions
exospores or akinetes (creates a thick cell wall)
Akinete
developed spore made up of one vegetative cell with food reserves and a hardened outer membrane
Heterocyst
nitrogen fixation (makes nitrogen usable for green plants)
Nitrogen in the air
78%
Oxygen in the air
21%