What are the two main groups of algae?
Green algae (charophytes) and other algae groups.
Green algae are the closest relatives to land plants.
What is the primary ecological role of algae?
Primary producers in the ocean.
Algae contribute significantly to the oceanic food web.
List the main types of algae based on color.
- Green
- Red
- Brown
Color differences arise from different photosynthetic pigments.
What chlorophyll types are found in algae?
Chlorophyll a is found in all algae groups; chlorophyll b is only in green algae.
What is Chlamydomonas?
A unicellular green algae that undergoes zygotic meiosis.
It is motile with apical flagella.
Describe the life cycle type of Chlamydomonas.
Haplontic life cycle with a dominant haploid stage.
Gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote that immediately undergoes meiosis.
What is Ulva commonly known as?
Sea lettuce.
Describe the structure of Ulva.
Sheet-like thallus, two cells thick, and undifferentiated body.
It has an isomorphic alteration of generations.
What distinguishes the diplontic life cycle?
Dominant diploid stage with no multicellular haploid stage.
Example: Fucus (rockweed).
What is the dominant stage in the diplohaplontic life cycle?
Both haploid and diploid stages are multicellular.
What is a characteristic of the triphasic life cycle?
Involves three distinct phases: haploid gametophyte, diploid zygote, and diploid carposporophyte.
Fill in the blank: Algae groups are mainly referred to by _______.
[color]
What products are derived from algae?
- Nori
- Alginates
- Carrageenan
- Agar
These products are used in food and industrial applications.
True or False: Algae form clades.
False.
What is the significance of chloroplasts in Chlamydomonas?
Site of photosynthesis and contains pyrenoid for starch synthesis.
What is the ecological role of lichens?
Important ecological colonizers through symbiotic associations with fungi.
What are harmful algal blooms often referred to as?
Red tides.
What is the main storage form of food in green algae?
Starch.
Describe the key characteristic of the haplontic life cycle.
The haploid gametophyte is the dominant, multicellular stage.
What role do algal turf scrubbers play?
Wastewater treatment.
