''Dictyochloropsis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

unicellular A unicellular organism, also known as a single-celled organism, is an organism that consists of a single cell, unlike a multicellular organism that consists of multiple cells. Organisms fall into two general categories: prokaryotic organisms and ...

green alga The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...

of the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature f ...

Chlorophyta. This genus consists of

free-living Free-living may refer to: * a non-parasitism, parasitic organism * a non-Sessility (zoology), sessile (or free-swimming) organism {{dab ...

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

which have a reticulate (net-like)

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 ...

that varies slightly in

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

between species, and that when mature always lacks a pyrenoid. ''Dictyochloropsis'' is asexual and reproduces using

autospore An autospore is a non-motile (non-flagellated) aplanospore that is produced within a parent cell, and has the same shape as the parent cell, before release. Autospores, in addition to zoospore and aplanospore, are one of the three types of spore ...

s. Previously, many species of the morphologically similar genus '' Symbiochloris'' were incorrectly classified to this taxon. These species were recently reclassified on the basis of molecular DNA analyses. ''Dictyochloropsis'' is found in terrestrial environments all over the world, but can live and grow in

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

environments as well. Recently, there has been promising research towards growing ''Dictyocloropsis'' in culture for the production of

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...

Etymology

The name of ''Dictyochloropsis'' comes from the

Greek language Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...

. The prefix “dictyo” is derived from the Greek word “δίκτυο” or “díktyo” meaning “network”, which is in reference to the net-like

present in this

. The medial “-chloro-” is from “χλωρός” or “chloros” meaning “the colour green” because of the green

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

, which colours the algae. The suffix “-opsis” comes from “ὄψις” or “opsis”, roughly translating to “appearance,” “sight” or “view”. Thus, “''Dictyochloropsis''” when translated from its Greek roots means “network of green appearance,” an accurate description of the green algae characterized by its reticulate green chloroplast.

History of knowledge

''Dictyochloropsis'' was first identified as a

in 1966 by

Lothar Geitler Lothar Geitler (18 May 1899 – 1 May 1990) was an Austrian botanist and cytologist. He was born in Vienna. His main research interests included blue-green algae (Cyanophyta), diatoms, lichen symbioses and chromosome structure. The cyanobacter ...

, who defined it as a

green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...

with a complex

that reproduces using

s. Geitler’s observations were not complete, he was unsure if he had correctly defined the new genus, and he requested supplementary observations from other scientists to attempt at further defining the taxon. In the early 1980s, Elisabeth Tschermak-Woess used Geitler’s definition to classify several

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

. However, some of these algae reproduce with

zoospore A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some protists, bacteria, and fungi to propagate themselves. Diversity Flagella types Zoospores may possess one or mo ...

s or

aplanospore {{Short pages monitor