''Azadinium spinosum'' is a species of dinoflagellates that produces
azaspiracid
Azaspiracids (AZA) are a group of polycyclic ether marine algal toxins produced by the small dinoflagellate '' Azadinium spinosum'' that can accumulate in shellfish and thereby cause illness in humans.
Azaspiracid was first identified in the 199 ...
toxins (toxins associated with
shellfish poisoning
Shellfish poisoning includes four syndromes that share some common features and are primarily associated with bivalve molluscs (such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops.) As filter feeders, these shellfish may accumulate toxins produced by ...
),
particularly AZA 1, AZA 2 and an isomer of AZA 2.
Description
It measures 12–16
µm
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...
in length and 7–11 µm wide, is a
peridinin
Peridinin is a light-harvesting apocarotenoid, a pigment associated with chlorophyll and found in the peridinin-chlorophyll-protein (PCP) light-harvesting complex in dinoflagellates, best studied in ''Amphidinium carterae''.
Biological significan ...
-containing
photosynthetic
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...
dinoflagellate with a thin
theca
In biology, a theca (plural thecae) is a sheath or a covering.
Botany
In botany, the theca is related to plant's flower anatomy. The theca of an angiosperm consists of a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a commo ...
. Its large nucleus is spherical and present posteriorly, whereas its single
chloroplast
A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...
is parietal, lobed, and extends into the
epi- and
hyposome.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Dinophyceae
{{dinoflagellate-stub