How long do algae live. Edible algae - types, benefits and harms. General characteristics of algae

Which do not have a stem, root or foliage. preferential algae habitat are the seas and fresh waters.

Department of green algae.

green algae there are unicellular And multicellular and contain chlorophyll. Green algae reproduce sexually and asexual type breeding. Green algae live in water bodies (fresh and salty), in the soil, on rocks and stones, on the bark of trees. The Department of Green Algae has about 20,000 species and is divided into five classes:

1) class protococcal- unicellular and multicellular non-flagellated forms.

2) Volvox class- the simplest unicellular algae that have flagella and are able to organize colonies.

3) Flame class- have a structure similar to the structure of horsetails.

4) Ulotrix class- have a thallus of a filamentous or lamellar form.

5) Siphon class- a class of algae, outwardly similar to other algae, but consisting of one cell with many nuclei. The sizes of siphon algae reach 1 meter.

Department of red algae (crimson).

Bagryans are found in warm seas at great depths. This department contains about 4,000 species. Thallus red algae has a dissected structure, they are attached to the substrate with the help of soles or rhizoid. The plastids of red algae contain chlorophylls, carotenoids And phycobilins.

Another feature of red algae is that they reproduce using complex sexual process. Spores and gametes of red algae immobile, as they do not have flagella. The process of fertilization occurs passively by transferring male gametes to the genitals of females.

Department of brown algae.

brown algae- These are multicellular organisms that have a yellowish-brown color due to the concentration of carotene in the surface layers of cells. There are about 1.5 thousand species of brown algae, which have a variety of forms: bushy, lamellar, spherical, crusty, filamentous.

Due to the content of gas bubbles in the thalli of brown algae, most of them are able to maintain a vertical position. Thallus cells have differentiated functions: fading and photosynthetic. Brown algae do not have a complete conducting system, but in the center of the thallus there are tissues that transport assimilation products. Nutrient minerals are absorbed by the entire surface of the thallus.

Different types of algae reproduce by all types of reproduction:

Sporov;

Sexual (isogamous, monogamous, heterogamous);

Vegetative (meet with random division of some parts of the thallus).

The value of algae for the biosphere.

Algae are the starting point of most food chains various reservoirs, oceans and seas. Algae also saturate the atmosphere with oxygen.

Seaweed actively are used for various products: agar-agar and carrageenan polysaccharides, used in cooking and cosmetics, are extracted from red algae; alginic acids, also used in the food and cosmetic industries, are obtained from brown algae.

Algae Report He will tell you about what algae are, and what is the role of algae in nature and human life.

Algae Message

Almost every body of water is inhabited by algae. They are a wayward indicator of the purity of water and supply it with oxygen that is useful for all aquatic inhabitants.

What is algae?

Algae belong to an ecological heterogeneous group of multicellular phototrophic, unicellular and colonial organisms, which, as a rule, live in water bodies. Everything known species algae are united by the following features:

1. characterized by photoautotrophic nutrition and the presence of chlorophyll

2. there is no differentiation of the plant body into organs as such

3. algae have a pronounced conduction system

4. live in a humid environment

5. there is no integument

Due to the fact that algae are adapted to the aquatic environment, they have developed a special feature of physiology - the necessary nutrients are absorbed by the entire surface of the plant body. The vital activity of algae depends on four factors - light, carbon dioxide, chemical composition water and its temperature.

What are algae?

There are three main types of algae in nature:

* Green algae

Belong to the department of lower plants, which have different morphological structure and sizes. They contain carotenoids and chlorophyll plates. Green algae come in multicellular and unicellular forms. They have a reserve substance - starch, sometimes oils. It is noteworthy that unicellular green algae live not only in the aquatic environment, but also in the soil or on the snow. But multicellular plants live in upper layers reservoirs, which is due to the implementation of the productive process of photosynthesis.

* Brown algae

Belong to the department of ochrophyte algae. modern biology has more than 2000 species. Almost all brown algae live in the marine aquatic environment. And only 6 species of these plants were able, in the course of evolution, to adapt to life on dry land. Scientists have found that the chromatophores of brown algae contain fucoxanthin, a special pigment that colors them brown.

The most common brown algae are: Macrocystis Laminaria and Cystoseira. In their body, there is practically no chlorophyll, which makes the vital activity of these algae independent of the processes of photosynthesis. Therefore, the habitat of plants is the seabed.

* Red algae

Red algae belong to a group of algae that contain a specific red pigment, phycoerythrin, in their bodies. Their color depends on the amount of phycoerythrin in the body of a plant - it ranges in color from a pronounced pink to a dark cherry color.

Red algae mainly live in the seas. Their body carries out photosynthesis, despite a small amount of chlorophyll. These plants are widely used in industrial production most of them are usable.

Message about the importance of algae in nature and human life

1. Algae is the basis of nutrition for herbivores such as crustaceans, molluscs, some fish, mammals and others.

2. Algae enrich the water column and the air above it with oxygen. Dead plants of some species are able to form sedimentary rocks: diatomite, limestone and tripoli. They contribute to the process of soil formation and increase soil fertility. Algae living in the bottom area are a refuge and home for fish and other aquatic animals.

3. Algae are used by humans for food. Bromine, iodine, agar-agar are also extracted from them, and medicines are made.

4. They are used for biological water purification and act as a fertilizer.

5. Algae is widely used in chemical, food, paper and textile industries.

In addition to beneficial properties, some types of algae are also harmful. For example, unicellular algae, multiplying massively in fresh water bodies, lead to “water blooms. Living in locks and water filters, they interfere with their normal operation.

We hope that the above information about algae has helped you. And you can leave your story about algae through the comment form.

In the treatment of algae, brown marine varieties are most often used, for example, kelp, ascophilium, amfeltia, fucus, containing the largest number alginic acid. Many doctors insist on the benefits of algae in the treatment of cancer and diseases of the endocrine glands. Algae have also been used in cosmetology.

What is seaweed and how are they useful to humans

Algae are a group of predominantly aquatic unicellular or colonial photosynthetic organisms. Unlike higher plants algae do not have stems, leaves, roots, form a protoplast. They contain a wide range of useful substances.

The benefits of algae are known firsthand to adherents of alternative medicine. In particular, crushed or micronized algae are used in thalassotherapy: energetically rich substances penetrate into the skin from the gruel, revitalizing metabolic processes and counteracting cellulite. In addition, the benefits of algae for humans is that they are rich in antioxidants: P-carotene, vitamins C and E, the superoxide dismutase enzyme, microelements and are a source of essential fatty acids.

In total, there are more than 30 thousand species of seaweed - brown, green, red, blue-green and others. Seaweed treatment is based on the fact that they contain a large amount of iodine, sea gum, vegetable mucus, chlorophyll, alginic acids, sodium, potassium, ammonium salts, and vitamins. In cosmetics, mainly extracts of brown algae are used - fucus, kelp, cystoseira. Speaking about the benefits of algae for humans, we must not forget that extracts obtained from certain types algae, differ in their composition and therefore have a directed action.

Vitamins in marine and freshwater algae

Especially high is the content in freshwater and seaweed of such vitamins as A, B1; B2, C, E and D. Algae also contain a lot of fucoxanthin, iodine and sulfoamino acids. The importance of algae in human life lies in the fact that they are able to stimulate and regenerate skin cells, have a softening and light bactericidal effect. In others, moisturizing and moisture-retaining properties are clearly manifested due to the higher content of polysaccharides, organic acids, and mineral salts. Still others - due to the active effect of organic iodine, fucosterol, mineral salts and vitamins, they are effective against cellulite, acne, favorable for skin care. oily skin, because they provide regulation of fat metabolism and improve blood circulation.

In modern cosmetic practice, seaweed extracts are used in almost all types of skin and hair care products.

The main groups and features of algae, their classification

Speaking about the role of algae in human life, one cannot but recall the modern theory the origin of life, which states that bacteria were at the origins of all life on Earth. Later, some of them evolved, which gave life to microorganisms containing chlorophyll. This is how the first algae appeared. Being able to recycle solar energy and the release of oxygen molecules, they were able to take part in the formation of the shell of atmospheric oxygen surrounding our planet. Thus, those forms of life on Earth that are familiar to modern man became possible.

The classification of algae in the general table of development is difficult. plant organisms, called "algae", is a highly arbitrary community of closely related organisms. Based on a number of features, this community is usually divided into several groups. There are 11 main types of algae, and the difference between brown and green algae is more significant than the difference between green algae and higher plants, such as grasses.

At the same time, all groups of algae have chlorophyll, a green pigment that is responsible for photosynthesis. Since only one of the groups of algae, the green ones, has the same composition and ratio of pigments as those of higher plants, it is believed that they are the ancestors of forests.

In addition to green, algae are blue-green, blue, red, brown. But regardless of color, all the huge number of species known to us, first of all, is divided into two large groups- unicellular and multicellular. Photos of the main types of algae are presented below on this page.

What are the main types of algae

The main groups of algae include microscopic unicellular and large multicellular.

Microscopic unicellular algae represented by a single cell that is able to provide all the functions of the body. As you can see in the photo, these algae are in the range of several tens of microns (l micron is a thousandth of a millimeter). Most of them are adapted to a floating lifestyle. In addition, many species have one or more flagella, which make them very mobile.

The second main type of algae is large multicellular- consist of a large number cells that form the so-called thallus, or thallus - what we perceive as an individual algae. The thallus consists of three parts:

• fixing apparatus - rhizoid, with the help of which the alga clings to the substrate;
• stalk (legs), varying in length and diameter;
• plate, dissected into fibers in the form of strands or straps.

The size of the thallus is very different, depending on the type of algae. For example, the thallus of Ulva, or sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), does not exceed a few centimeters. The peculiarity of these algae is that their extremely thin plate can continue to develop and grow even after separation from the substrate. Individual specimens of laminaria reach a length of several meters. It is their thallus, clearly divided into three parts, that well illustrates the structure of macroalgae.

The shape of the thallus is also very diverse. Marine calcareous deposits are known, consisting of algae of the genus Lithothamnium calcareum, which in life looks like a small pink coral.

The role and importance of freshwater algae in human life

What are the types of algae other than seaweed? The sea is not the only habitat for algae colonies. Fresh water ponds, small and big rivers is also their habitat. Algae live wherever there is enough light for photosynthesis.

So, even at great depths, near the bottom, seaweeds called benthic algae live. These are macroalgae that need a solid support for fixing and development.

Numerous microscopic diatoms live here, which are either located on the bottom or live on the thallus of large benthic algae. A huge amount of marine microscopic algae forms a significant part of the phytoplankton that drifts with the flow. Seaweed can be found even in water bodies with high salinity. Small algae, when multiplying, can color the water, as happens in the Red Sea due to the microscopic alga Thishodesmium, which contains a red pigment.

Freshwater algae are usually represented by fibrous forms and develop on the bottom of reservoirs, on rocks or on the surface of aquatic plants. Freshwater phytoplankton is widely known. These are microscopic unicellular algae that live in literally all layers of fresh water.

Freshwater algae have quite unexpectedly succeeded in settling other areas, such as residential buildings. The main thing for any algae habitat is humidity and light. Algae appear on the walls of houses, they are found even in hot springs with temperatures up to +85 °C.

Some single-celled algae - mainly zooxanthelles (Zooxanthelles) - settle inside animal cells, staying in a stable relationship (symbiosis). Even the corals that make up Coral reefs, cannot exist without symbiosis with algae, which, thanks to their ability to photosynthesis, supply them with nutrients needed for growth.

Laminaria is a brown seaweed

What are algae, and in what industries have they found their application? Currently, about 30,000 varieties of algae are known to science. In cosmetology, brown algae have found their application - kelp (seaweed), amfeltia and fucus; red algae lithotamnia; blue-green algae - spirulina, chrocus, nastuk; blue algae - spiral algae and green algae ulva (sea lettuce).

Laminaria is a brown algae, which was one of the first to be used in cosmetic products. Despite the fact that there are several types of kelp, outwardly very different from each other, they all live only in cold, well-mixed water. The most famous is the sugary kelp (Laminaria Saccharina), which lives off the European coast and owes its name to the sweet taste of the mucus covering it. It grows in bushes, the size of which is directly dependent on the degree of protection of the habitat. It reaches 2-4 meters in length, its stem is cylindrical, turning into a corrugated long plate.

Wide famous name"seaweed" is historically associated with kelp (Laminaria digitata), living in places protected from the surf at the uppermost boundary of the sublittoral - the zone of the sea shelf. Otherwise, kelp is called the "witch's tail." The thallus of this alga, reaching a length of 3 meters, is an excellent visual example of the general plan of the structure of macroalgae. Rhizoids (trailers), palmate, branched, with which the alga is attached to stones, are very clearly visible; stem - long, cylindrical, flexible and smooth; the plate is flat, solid in the lower section, and then dissected into straps. This type of algae is especially rich in iodine, since kelp is always under water.

The use of algae of this species has been established in industrial scale. In addition to its nutritional purpose, it has valuable pharmacological properties. This type of kelp is especially known for its stimulating and tonic effect: it improves overall metabolism, is a source of trace elements and is widely included in weight loss products and anti-cellulite programs.

Numerous studies have shown that sea kale (and other algae) is different in that none of its constituent components is harmful to patients, including those with malignant processes.

Fucus (fucus) is the second most important for cosmetics algae from the class of brown (Phaeophycophyta). It grows on stones in the coastal zone and is harvested by hand. Beneficial features These algae are due to the fact that they are extremely rich in iodine, vitamins, amino acids, plant hormones and trace elements. You can find it on the beaches of the English Channel and along the entire Atlantic coast. For cosmetic purposes, two varieties of fucus are commonly used:

Fucus vesiculosus

and Fucus serrafus.

The presence of a large amount of alginic acid determines the natural gelling and thickening ability of extracts, both kelp and fucus. Both algae are rich in organic and inorganic substances, which determine their high biological activity. Extracts of kelp and, to a greater extent, fucus vesiculosus (Fucus vesiculosus) contain a complex of substances that stimulate the work of β-receptors and block α-receptors of fat cells, providing an effective anti-cellulite effect.

What is it - red, blue and green algae (with photo)

Red algae is a division of algae that lives in sea water.

lithotamnia (Lithothamnium), like all red algae, they are found on underwater rocks North Sea, English Channel and Atlantic. It was colorfully described in 1963 by the famous submariner Jacques Cousteau. At a depth of a hundred meters, he discovered a red beach - a platform of calcareous purple - lithotamnia. This algae looks like large pieces of pink marble with an uneven surface. Living in the sea, she absorbs and accumulates lime. The calcium content in it is up to 33% and magnesium up to 3%, and besides, it has an iron concentration 18,500 times greater than sea ​​water. Lithotamnia is mined mainly in Britain and Japan. It is included in the composition of cosmetic products, given the ability to restore the balance of minerals in the body, but it is also popular as a dietary supplement.

In face and especially body care products developed in last years, the use of a mixture of fucus, kelp and lithotamnia algae is common. Rich in inorganic compounds, lithotamnia perfectly complements the action of brown algae, providing a comprehensive effect on the skin and hair.

Blue algae are spiral algae found in some lakes in California and Mexico. Due to the high content of protein, vitamin B12 and P-carotene, they improve skin elasticity and have a wonderful firming effect.

See how blue algae look in the photo - they differ from other algae in a rich blue-turquoise color.

Green algae are a group of lower plants. Ulva (Ulva lactuca)- sea lettuce - is a green algae that grows on the rocks. You can collect it only at low tide. Sea lettuce is a real pantry of B vitamins and iron, they help strengthen body tissues and improve blood circulation in capillary vessels.

Spirulina is a blue-green seaweed, its use for treatment. Spirulina from more than 30,000 species of algae contains the richest set of vitamins, microelements, amino acids, enzymes. It is rich in chlorophyll, gamma-linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids and other potentially valuable nutrients such as sulfolipids, glycolipids, phycocyanin, superoxide dismutase, RNase, DNase.

Spirulina differs from other algae in that it contains up to 70% of the most perfect protein in its composition, no other representatives of the flora and fauna on Earth contain such an amount.

Spirulina is the richest source of natural P-carotene, a vital antioxidant, and other carotenoids. Carotenoids are used by several organs in our body, including the adrenal glands, the reproductive system, the pancreas and spleen, the skin, and the retina of the eyes.

Only spirulina and mother's milk are complete sources of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), which plays an indispensable role in ensuring the normal functioning of the body, all other sources are extracted oils. GLA helps prevent heart attacks and strokes, helps to remove excess fluid, improves function nervous system and regulates cell reproduction, has anti-inflammatory properties, maintains healthy joints, and helps treat arthritis. GLA is also recognized as an important nutrient in the prevention of skin diseases such as psoriasis. Spirulina contains the most perfect protein and all essential amino acids. Spirulina protein does not require heat treatment for consumption, while other protein-containing products must be cooked or baked (cereals, meat, fish, eggs), as a result of which some forms of protein partially, and some completely lose their useful qualities.

Spirulina does not contain rigid cellulose in its cell walls, unlike other algae, but consists of mucosol saccharides. This allows its protein to be easily digested and assimilated in the body. Protein digestion is 85-95%.

Algae - countless and varied various groups plants. Most of of which live in water bodies. Other species prefer to be on the surface of the soil, tree bark, fences, roofs. They only need moisture, for example, dew, groundwater, splashes of water from various sources. The body of algae contains one or more cells and is a kind of plate called a thallus. Some algae have a plate length of approximately 60 meters. Algae lack roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. The component of the cell in algae is the nucleus, the cytoplasm, and one or more chloroplasts, which are called chromatophores.

Algae representatives

In summer, sometimes some fresh water bodies turn green, that is, they "bloom". And the source of this phenomenon is chlamydomonas. Chlamydomonas is a single-celled microscopic algae. Thanks to their two flagella, these algae move. There is another type of algae called chlorella. Such algae, in addition to water, likes to be in the soil, air. She does not have flagella, so she cannot move. At the bottom of a reservoir or near the banks of a stream, mud is often found, which is created by the algae Spirogyra. The structure of the body of spirogyra is cells elongated in a row, which are called threads. Accordingly, this group of algae was called filamentous. Most people are familiar with the brown algae kelp - sea kale. It is edible, it is often used in the diet of people and animals. There is another type of algae - porphyry. The length of the thallus of such an algae can reach 2 meters, and has a red color. These algae are used in Food Industry(marshmallow production), paper and textile industries.
Algae is an important component in nature and human life. In nature, algae serve as:

• food for animals;
• place, from predators, some fish hide in thickets of algae.

In human life, algae are necessary for:

• food;
• fertilizers;
• livestock feed;
• production of paper, medicines;
• wastewater treatment.

Contains chloroplasts. Algae have different shape and sizes. They live mainly in water to the depths where light penetrates.

Among the algae, there are both microscopically small and giant ones, reaching a length of over 100 m (for example, the length of the brown alga macrocystis pear-shaped is 60-200 m).

Algae cells contain special organelles - chloroplasts, which carry out photosynthesis. At different types they have different shape and sizes. Mineral salts necessary for photosynthesis and carbon dioxide algae absorb from the water the entire surface of the body and excrete into environment oxygen.

Multicellular algae are widespread in freshwater and marine reservoirs. The body of multicellular algae is called the thallus. A distinctive feature of the thallus is the similarity in the structure of cells and the absence of organs. All cells of the thallus are arranged almost the same way, and all parts of the body perform the same functions.

Algae reproduce asexually and sexually.

asexual reproduction

Single-celled algae reproduce, as a rule, by division. asexual reproduction algae is also carried out through special cells- spores covered with a shell. Spores of many species have flagella and are able to move independently.

sexual reproduction

Algae are also characterized by sexual reproduction. In the process of sexual reproduction, two individuals participate, each of which passes on its chromosomes to the offspring. In some species, this transfer is carried out when the contents of ordinary cells merge; in others, special sex cells, gametes, stick together.

Algae live mainly in water, inhabiting numerous marine and freshwater reservoirs, both large and small, temporary, both deep and shallow.

Algae inhabit water bodies only at those depths to which it penetrates sunlight. Few species of algae live on rocks, tree bark, and soil. For living in water, algae have a number of adaptations.

Adaptation to the environment

For organisms that live in the oceans, seas, rivers and other bodies of water, water is the habitat. This environment is markedly different from ground conditions. Reservoirs are characterized by a gradual decrease in illumination as they dive deeper, fluctuations in temperature and salinity, low oxygen content in water - 30-35 times less than in air. In addition, the movement of water poses a great danger to seaweed, especially in the coastal (tidal) zone. Here, algae are exposed to such powerful factors as surf and wave impacts, ebb and flow (Fig. 39).

Algae survival in such harsh conditions aquatic environment perhaps thanks to special devices.

• With a lack of moisture, the shells of algae cells thicken significantly and become saturated with inorganic and organic substances. This protects the body of algae from drying out during low tide.
• The body of seaweed is firmly attached to the ground, therefore, during the surf and wave impacts, they relatively rarely break away from the ground.
• Deep-sea algae have larger chloroplasts with a high content of chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments.
• Some algae have special bubbles filled with air. They, like floats, keep the algae at the surface of the water, where it is possible to capture the maximum amount of light for photosynthesis.
• The release of spores and gametes in algae coincides with the tide. The development of the zygote occurs immediately after its formation, which does not allow the ebb to carry it into the ocean.

Algae representatives

brown algae

Kelp

The seas are inhabited by algae, which have a yellow-brown color. These are brown algae. Their color is due to the high content of special pigments in the cells.

The body of brown algae looks like threads or plates. A typical representative of brown algae is kelp (Fig. 38). It has a lamellar body up to 10-15 m long, which is attached to the substrate with the help of rhizoids. Laminaria reproduces asexually and sexually.

Fucus

in shallow water dense thickets forms fucus. Its body is more dissected than that of kelp. In the upper part of the thallus there are special air bubbles, thanks to which the body of the fucus is held on the surface of the water.

On this page, material on the topics:

• fucus structure designate body parts

• structure food algae reproduction

• differences and common in unicellular algae and multicellular

• fucuses what they eat how they reproduce

• what algae can live at the greatest depth

Questions for this article:

• What organisms are algae?

• It is known that algae inhabit the seas, rivers and lakes only at those depths to which sunlight penetrates. How can this be explained?

• What is common and distinctive in the structure of unicellular and multicellular algae?

• What is the main difference between brown algae and other algae?

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