CyanobacteriaCyanobacteria ( sy-AN-oh-bak-TEER-ee-ə) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria of the phylum Cyanobacteriota that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria originated in a freshwater or terrestrial environment, and first appeared in the middle Archean eon. They are probably the most numerous taxon to have ever existed on Earth.
SeaweedSeaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of Rhodophyta (red), Phaeophyta (brown) and Chlorophyta (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; other species, such as planktonic algae, play a vital role in capturing carbon and producing at least 50% of Earth's oxygen.
PhytoplanktonAutotrophic members of the plankton ecosystem Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from Ancient Greekφυτόν (phutón), meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός (planktós), meaning "drifter, wanderer, roamer", and thus, "plant drifter". Phytoplankton obtain their energy through photosynthesis, as trees and other plants do on land.
MicroalgaeMicroalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column and sediment. They are unicellular species which exist individually, or in chains or groups. Depending on the species, their sizes can range from a few micrometers (μm) to a few hundred micrometers. Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not have roots, stems, or leaves.
PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is a system of biological processes by which photopigment-bearing autotrophic organisms, such as most plants, algae and cyanobacteria, convert light energy—typically from sunlight—into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabolism. The term photosynthesis usually refers to oxygenic photosynthesis, a process that releases oxygen as a byproduct of water splitting.
EmbryophyteSubclade of green plants, also known as land plantsThe embryophytes () are plants of the cladeEmbryophyta (), also known as Plantae sensu strictissimo (, "plant in the strictest sense") or land plants. They are complex multicellulareukaryotes with haplodiplontic life cycles. All have specialized reproductive organs called sporangia, and reproduce sexually via alternation of generations using spores or seeds.
CharalesCharales is an order of freshwater green algae in the division Charophyta, class Charophyceae, commonly known as stoneworts. Depending on the treatment of the genus Nitellopsis, living (extant) species are placed into either one family (Characeae) or two (Characeae and Feistiellaceae). Further families are used for fossil members of the order. Linnaeus established the genus Chara in 1753.
CharophytaCharophyta (UK: ) is a paraphyletic group of freshwater green algae, called charophytes (), sometimes treated as a division, yet also as a superdivision. The terrestrial plants, the Embryophyta emerged deep within Charophyta, possibly from terrestrial unicellular charophytes, with the class Zygnematophyceae as a sister group. With the Embryophyta now cladistically placed in the Charophyta, it is a synonym of Streptophyta.
Colony (biology)In biology, a colony is composed of two or more conspecific individuals living in close association with, or connected to, one another. This association is usually for mutual benefit such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Colonies can form in various shapes and ways depending on the organism involved. For instance, the bacterial colony is a cluster of identical cells (clones).
SpirogyraSpirogyra (common names include water silk, mermaid's tresses, and blanket weed) is a genus of filamentous charophytegreen algae of the family , named for the helical or spiral arrangement of the chloroplasts that is characteristic of the genus. Spirogyra species, of which there are more than 500, are commonly found in freshwater habitats.British EnglishBritish English is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to the collective dialects of English throughout the United Kingdom taken as a single umbrella variety, for instance additionally incorporating Scottish English, Welsh English, and Northern Irish English.
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