Algae definition. All You Need to Know about Algae Biofuel 2023-01-06
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Algae are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that have the ability to photosynthesize. They are classified as protists, and are found in almost all aquatic environments, including oceans, lakes, and rivers. Algae can range in size from microscopic single cells to large seaweeds that can grow up to several meters in length.
There are many different types of algae, including green algae, brown algae, red algae, and blue-green algae. Green algae are the most common and are found in freshwater environments, while brown algae and red algae are typically found in marine environments. Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are a type of bacteria that are capable of photosynthesis and are found in both freshwater and marine environments.
Algae play an important role in the environment by producing oxygen through photosynthesis and serving as a food source for other organisms. They also help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which can contribute to mitigating climate change.
However, algae can also have negative impacts on the environment. When there is an excess of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the water, algae can grow rapidly in a process known as an algal bloom. These blooms can deplete the water of oxygen, leading to the death of other aquatic life. Algal blooms can also produce toxins that can be harmful to humans and other animals.
In recent years, algae have gained attention as a potential source of biofuel due to their ability to produce oils that can be converted into fuel. Research is ongoing to determine the feasibility of using algae as a sustainable and renewable source of energy.
Overall, algae are an important and diverse group of organisms that play a vital role in the environment and have the potential to be used as a source of biofuel.
What Are Algae?
Thus, periphyton and biofilms microphytobenthos , macroalgae macrophytobenthos , and metaphyton are benthic algae. An alga-like creature is among the most likely to be discovered if life exists beyond our solar system. Their abundance is strongly influenced by nutrients and light. Nutrition As a general rule, algae are capable of photosynthesis and produce their own nourishment by using light energy from the sun and carbon dioxide in order to generate carbohydrates and oxygen. Algae and Human Affairs.
What Is An Algae bloom? Definition, Causes, Importance of Algae
ADVERTISEMENTS: The term algae was proposed by Linnaeus in 1753 but he had used this term for those organisms which we call Bryophytes now-a-days. Algin is extracted from the cell wall of brown algae. Algae are sometimes considered as protists with chloroplasts. Among these, there are biologically important acids with 20 and 22 carbon atoms, that is, arachidonic acid ARA , EPA, and DHA associated either with triacylglycerols and phospholipids in heterotrophic algae Pythium, Cryptecodinium, Nitzchia, Schizochytrium, and Ulkenia spp. Chlamydomonas: Chlorophyceae or Green algae 6. Fucus shows a diplontic life cycle.
Historia Fucorum, dated 1768 In 1768, Historia Fucorum, the first work dedicated to marine algae and the first book on At this time, microscopic algae were discovered and reported by a different group of workers e. They grow in tiny colonies with only a few cells. Basic food web illustrating role of algae as primary producers in relation to consumers herbivores and predators and decomposers bacteria and fungi. . Euglena is an autotroph regularly but will behave like a heterotroph when deprived of sunlight and prey on smaller organisms. The advantage of this option is that it enables algae growth anywhere in the world.
They give the impression that the water is on fire at night. In contrast, most macroalgae and plants, which are also important primary producers in some rivers and streams, are more directly decomposed by bacteria and fungi because few aquatic herbivores are adapted to eat it. They show a haplontic life cycle. For example, Chlorella species develops a symbiotic relationship with Hydra sp. A chemical reaction then occurs, resulting in a different alcohol and ester. Algae Bloom What Is Algae? INTRODUCTION Algae have long been used to assess environmental conditions in aquatic habitats throughout the world.
These beings aren't necessarily associated with one another. Dastidar, in Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2014 Advantages Algae are the photosynthetic organisms that derive solar energy and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to form their biomass Demirbas, 2010. However, much research is required to further strengthen the path of algal genomics especially in context to algal products of importance to mankind. Government agencies throughout the world now use algae to monitor and assess ecological conditions in many types of aquatic ecosystems e. Algae can also cause taste, odor, and toxicity problems in drinking water supplies and foul the pipes and filters of water users. All flagella are uniform in their internal structure. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
These organisms can thrive in freshwater lakes or in saltwater oceans. Marine Algae of Northern Ireland. Excess algae in rivers cause many problems by altering physical habitat and depleting dissolved oxygen supplies. Taxonomic and morphological diversity of algae varies among habitats and seasonally within rivers as well as among rivers with different environmental conditions. Anisogamy is found in Chlamydomonas, where the male and female gametes are motile, but male gametes are smaller and female gametes are larger. Ecology Algae are plentiful and diversified in their distribution. Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae and Rhodophyceae.
They are formed in Chlamydomonas, Ulothrix, etc. Aparna has written for a number of publications, including New Scientist, Science, PBS SoCal, Mental Floss, and several others. To boot, pressed algae can be turned into fertilizer and feedstock, without any additional consumption of other raw materials. Nutrition Although the majority of algae are phototrophic meaning they get their energy from photosynthesis , some are mixotrophic, and still, others are heterotrophic. So, like other bacteria, by the inclusion of dead species in water, the algae bacterium is activated.
In tropical soils, soil algae maintain soil fertility. To completely replace conventional fuel, 140 billion gallons of algae biofuel would be required each year. Applications of algae in biotechnology go far beyond biodiesel. In uncropped soil, soil algae check the loss of nitrates through leaching and drainage. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Yellow-green algae are most commonly seen in freshwater, although they may also be found in saline water and damp soil. Algae are considered as good candidate for biodiesel production due to several advantages like high photosynthetic effectiveness, fast growth rate, and high biomass productivity Amaro et al. As a Source of Food Algae are primary producers. More than one species of kelp may be present in a Kelp forest. Their process seeks to slash turnaround times by harvesting the oil directly from the living algae. The Palmella stage is the large masses of usually immobile cells embedded in a gelatinous matrix of flagellated algae or plant-like flagellates.
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