Do you know what algae is??Today I will be talking about the plant-like protists called Algae. Algae are the things you see in the spring and summer growing on ponds, rivers, and sometimes even lakes.
Algae are similiar to plants in ways like that use photosynthesis to gain food and that most algae are eukayotic, meaning they have nuclei. They differ because they don't have roots systems, leaves, and stems.
The different types of algae are diatoms, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, red algae, green algae, and brown algae. I know that sounds like a lot but they are actually quite easy to explain.
First I will be talking about the three types of algae. The most important is the green algae. Green algae makes up almost half of the world's oxygen and is the most common type with many sub species.
Red algae is found deep under the sea and gets its food from photosynthesis. Carrageen, a substance found in red algae, helps make everday products like toothpaste and pudding smooth.
Brown algae live in the ocean and different types include seaweed and kelp.
Diatoms are gold brown in color giving them the name gold-brown algae. Diatoms are rich in silica which is a major ingredient in glass.
Dinoflagellates have two flagella that help them move. One acts as a belt while the other acts as a tail but they both rotate. Dinoflagellates are also available for red tide. Red tide occurs when large amounts of dinoflagellates get together in the ocean. This result in many deaths of fish from not getting enough oxygen.
Euglenoids have animal like features including flagella and eye spots that are sensitive to light.
Lastly some good things about algae are that they benefit humans in food and medicine. They also help by reducing harmful chemicals and carbondioxide emissions in the environment. In conclusion algae are great for you and me !!!!!
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