UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES
CAVE HILL CAMPUS DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL & CHEMICAL SCIENCES BL 14A - BIODIVERSITY I: THE PLANT KINGDOM MAJOR ALGAL GROUPSGroup |
Common Name |
Niche(a) |
Major Accesory Pigment |
Reserve |
Flagella(a) |
Remarks |
| CHLOROPHYTES | Green algae | m/f/t; varied | chl b. | starch | (2) |
Most diverse group |
| Euglenophytes | Euglenoids | m/f; planktonic | chl b | ß 1-3 glucan | 2 |
proeinaceous pellicle instead of wall; facultative autotrophs |
| PHAEOPHYTES | Brown algae | m; benthic | fucoxanthin (carotenoid) |
ß 1-3 glucan, mannitol |
(2) |
Usually macro-algae |
| Chrysophytes | Golden-brown algae (incl. diatoms) |
m/f; planktonic | fucoxanthin (carotenoid) |
ß 1-3 glucan | (1 - 3) |
Diatoms with SiO2 walls |
| RHODOPHYTES | Red algae | m; benthic | phycoerythrin | floridean starch | 0 |
Usually macro-algae |
| Pyrrophytes | Dinoflagellates | m/f; planktonic | peridinin (carotenoid) |
form of starch | 2 |
Internal cellulose wall |
NOTES:-
m = marine f = freshwater t = terrestrial
( ) implies if present
1997-10-01
CMSC