Freshwater Algae Ecology Midterm

Slender threadlike structure allowing motility

Catalyse-converts nitrogen to ammonia

Microseira; Cyanobacteria; toxin producing, benthic

saxitoxins

Protects algae from from desiccation and excessive dryness

Nostoc; Cyanobacteria

Chlorophyll b helps absorb more wavelengths and passes more sunlight to chlorophyll a

chlorophyll

Motility, Morphology, Pigments, Cell wall, Size

Suitable temp, nutrients, light, ph

polysaccharides (primarily glycogen)

Anabaena; Cyanobacteria

Sphaerocystis; Chlorophyta

Spondylosium; Charophyta

Comasiella; Chloropyta

Epithemia; Diatom

Schizothrix; Cyanobacteria

Mastogloia; Diatom

Ophiocytium; Xanthophytes

Quadrigula; Chlorophyta

Pinnularia; Diatom

Synura; Chrysophyte

Oedogonium; Chlorophyta

Euastrum; Charophyta

Leptolyngbya; Cyanobacteria

Spirulina: Cyanobacteria

Spirogyra; Charophyta

Ankistrodesmus; Chlorophyta

Aulacoseira; Diatom

Cyclotella; Diatom

Encynema; Diatom

Fragilaria; Diatom

Cylindrospermum; Cyanobacteria

Cymbella; Diatom

Gomphosphaeria; Cyanobacteria

Hyalotheca; Charophyta

Tetrahedron; Chlorophyta

Pleurotaenium; Charopyta

Gomphonema; Diatom

Synedra; Diatom

Trachelomonas; Euglenoid

Coelosphaerium; Cyanobacteria

Aphanochaete; Chlorophyta; Chaete

Cryptomonas; Cryptophytes

Gyrosigma; Diatom

Desmidium; Charophyta

Stigonema; Cyanobacteria; True branching

Long strand of cells

One chain of cells vs. has extending filaments off main one

Located between cells vs. located at the end

Uniseriate filaments are only one cell wide vs. multiseriate filaments are more than one cell wide (ex. Stigonema)

to protect itself from stressful environmental conditions

"Whirling"

Kissimmee

Scenedesmus does not have spines, and Desmodesmus do

Cicad and cyanobacteria; mutualism (nitrogen fixation)

Cluster of filaments or branches, with the parts subparallel

Has gas vesicles for flotation vs. no gas vesicles and lives on the bottom

Allows for flotation/stability in the water column, filling with air and allowing for the capture of sunlight

Thrives at relatively high temperatures and grows faster in warmer water

Organelle within the cells of that is the site of photosynthesis and contains chlorophyll

Colored plastids that contain carotenoid pigment

Enzyme present in plant/algae chloroplast that fixes atmospheric CO2 during photosynthesis

Photoreceptive organelle found in the flagellate or (motile) cells that helps algae swim toward or perceive the light
Made of thylakoids
Red because carotenoid granules
Green algae and other unicellular photosynthetic organisms such as euglenids

A differentiated cell that fixes atmospheric nitrogen (N2)
Has extra lipid fat layer around cell an the end of each cell has a “plug”-polar bodies to keep oxygen out
Has channels between cells- Microplasmadesmata - to transport fixed nitrogen (glutamate)

Dormant cell created by filamentous, cyanobacteria and is resistant to cold and desiccation
Can help identify genus or species by shape and relative position from the heterocyte

CO2 concentrating mechanism that is found in cyanobacteria to significantly improve net CO2 fixation and yield

Proteins and minerals storage

Protects cyanobacteria from drying out in dryer climates/environments

Positive phototaxis=move toward light and negative photo axis= move away from the light

Individual cells share a cell wall, are stuck together and have a definitive number of cells

Loose number of cells held together

Staurastrum; Charophyta

Nitzschia; Diatom

Oscillatoria; Cyanobacteria

Chroococcus; Cyanobacteria

Mallomonas; Chrysophytes

Haematococcus; Chlorophyta

Eunotia; Diatom

Achnanthidium; Diatom

Dinobryon; Chrysophytes

Coelastrum; Chlorophyta

Chlamydomonas; Chlorophyta

Nephrocytium; Chlorophyta

Desmodesmus; Chlorophyta; Spines

Glaucocystis; Glaucophyta

Stauridium; Chlorophyta

Ulnaria; Diatom

Flagella and motile

Find a mate and increase sunlight capture

Some cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen for nutrients, usually using a heterocyte
Light stimulated process
16 ATP molecules to fix one molecule of dinitrogen N2
60 enzymes are part of the nitrogenase complex, used as a catalyst

Cellulose

Silica

Star shaped chloroplast (ex. Zygnema)

Cyanobacteria; Glucose storage

Desmids (ex. Micrasterias)

Lobomonas; Chlorophyta

Never a flagellum! Some filaments glide with mucilaginous excretions as propellant

Many cells glide using actin-myosin motility system. No flagella!

Flagellated green algae

Organelle in green algae to promote photosynthetic CO2 fixation by robisco, located in the chloroplast

Used to grab onto substrate and secretes very strong mucilage

Cyanobacteria can diffuse CO2 into the cell tomaintain high CO2 levels and combat photooxidation

Has false and true branching
Only group with false branching

Has chlorophyll A, B, & carotenoids

Light, temperature, nutrients must not be limiting
Can become stuck at the top or bottom of the water column due to factors limiting bouyancy

Too much UVB
High light intensities oxidise the chlorophyll, inhibiting the rate of photosynthesis

Mucidosphaerium; Chlorophyta; Has strains of the mother cell wall, made of cellulose

Oocystis; Chlorophyta

Carteria; Chlorophyta

Pediastrum; Chlorophyta

Sorastrum; Chlorophyta

Closterium; Charophyta
Crescent moon shaped, two chloroplasts in each half cell

Tetradesmus; Chlorophyta; Cenobium

Bulbochaete; Chlorophyta; Chaetae

Burrowing, swimming or anchoring the body within its hollow tube

Xanthidium; Charophyta

Uroglena; Chrysophyte

Gymnodinium; Dinoflagellate

Peridinium; Dinoflagellate

Phormidium; Cyanobacteria; Incised cells

Cells pinched in together (ex. Phormidium)

Gloeothece; Cyanobacteria; "green eggs and ham"

Flat sheet (ex. Merismopedia)
Cuboidal (ex. Eucapsis)

Merismopedia; Cyanobacteria

Nodularia; Cyanobacteria; Creates nodularin toxin; fixes nitrogen

Size relative to the filament
Intercalary vs. Terminal placement
Site of false branching
Position relative to the akinetes

Ecological disruptions (hypoxia)-fish are decent at metabolizing the toxins, but cannot survive low DO
Toxicity
Taste & odors (cyanobacteria can make taste & odor compounds that humans can detect above 10 ng/m)

Penium; Charophyta

Charophyta

To maximize nutrients and light capture

Rubisco

Astaxanthin (ex. Haematococcus, Chlorella)

Chlorophyll a and b

Glucose

Chlorophyll b and carotenoids

Oxygen

Rubisco

Komvophoron; Cyanobacteria

Complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems

Hemidinium; Dinflagellate

Kirchneriella; Chlorophyta

Lacunastrum; Chlorophyta

Lepocinclis; Euglenoid

Monactinus; Chlorophyta

Botryococcus: Chlorophyta

Micrasterias; Charophyta; Desmid

Cosmarium; Charophyta; Desmid

Mougeotia; Charophyta; Desmid

Diploneis; Diatom

Mastogloia; Diatom

Stauroneis; Diatiom

Synechocystis; Cyanobacteria

Aphanothece; Cyanobacteria

Aphanocapsa; Cyanobacteria

Tolypothrix; Cyanobacteria

Pseudanabaena; Cyanobacteria

Volvox; Chlorophyta