Picophagea, also known as Synchromophyceae, is a class of
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 ...
heterokont
Heterokonts are a group of protists (formally referred to as Heterokonta, Heterokontae or Heterokontophyta). The group is a major line of eukaryotes. Most are algae, ranging from the giant multicellular kelp to the unicellular diatoms, which ...
s.
The chloroplast of the Synchromophyceae are surrounded by two membranes and arranged in a way where they share the outer pair of membranes. The entire chloroplast complex is surrounded by an additional two outer membranes.
Taxonomy
According to AlgaeBase, the class contains only two genera:
* Class Picophagea
Synchromophyceae ** Order
Synchromales Horn & Ehlers 2007
*** Family
Synchromaceae Schnetter & Ehlers 2007
**** Genus ''
Synchroma''
Schnetter 2007
** Order
Chlamydomyxales
*** Family
Chlamydomyxaceae
**** Genus ''
Chlamydomyxa''
Archer 1875
However, the latest revision recognizes an additional four genera: ''
Chrysopodocystis'', ''
Guanochroma'', ''
Leukarachnion'' and ''
Picophagus''.
References
Ochrophyta
Heterokont classes
{{Heterokont-stub