Classification and features

*Salient features of algae:

Algae are chlorophyll-bearing, photosynthetic organisms found primarily in aquatic habitats.

• The plant body of algae is typically thalloid and shows no true di erentiation into root, stem,
and leaves. They lack vascular tissues such as xylem and phloem.
• Algae possess chlorophyll “a” as the primary photosynthetic pigment along with accessory
pigments like chlorophyll b, c, d, carotenoids, xanthophylls, and phycobilins. They are
therefore photoautotrophic in nature
• Algae are mostly aquatic organisms, occurring in both freshwater and marine environments.
Some species are also found in moist soil, rocks, tree trunks, and in symbiotic associations
(e.g., lichens)
• The algal body ranges from unicellular to complex multicellular forms, including colonial,
lamentous, siphonaceous, and parenchymatous types.
• The cell wall is generally composed of cellulose and pectic substances, but in certain groups
it may contain alginic acid (brown algae), silica (diatoms), or calcium carbonate (coralline
algae).
• Reserve food materials vary among di erent groups of algae, such as starch in green algae,
laminarin and mannitol in brown algae, and oridean starch in red algae.
• Algae reproduce by vegetative, asexual, and sexual methods. Sexual reproduction may occur
through isogamy, anisogamy, or oogamy.
• Many algal species produce agellated zoospores or gametes, which help in dispersal and
reproduction in aquatic environments.
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 • Algae exhibit di erent types of life cycles such as haplontic, diplontic, and haplodiplontic,
depending on the dominance of haploid or diploid phases.
• Algae play a vital role as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and contribute
signi cantly to global oxygen production and carbon xation.
Example:Chlorella,Nostoc,Oscillatoria,Scenedesmus,Anabaena,Chlamydomonas,Volvox.

Fig:Scenedesmus
Fig:Chlamydomonas
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 Classi cation

Algal characteristics basic to primary [Link] primary classification of algae isbased on certain
morphological and physiological features. The chief among these are:
(a)pigment constitution of the cell
(b)chemical nature of stored food materials
(c)kind, number, point of insertion and relative length of the flagella on the motile cell,
(d) chemical composition of cell wall
(e) presence or absence of a definitely organised nucleus in the cell or any other significant detail of cell
structure

***Classi cation of algae according to F.E Fritsch(1935,1945)

The classi cation of algae by F.E Fritsch(1935) is one of the most classical and widely accepted
system in algal taxonomy.F.E Fritch’s system is morpholical and cytological not
[Link] consider algae as a polyphyletic group(originated from more than one
ancestor)
De nation of algae by F.E Fritsch

Algae are a group of simple, thalloid, autotrophic plants, containing chlorophyll, mostly aquatic
(freshwater or marine), lacking true roots, stems and leaves, and without vascular tissues
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 The criteria used as the bases of algal classifications by FE Fritsch

1. Nature of Photosynthetic Pigments

The type and combination of pigments present in algal cells form one of the most important criteria of
classi cation.
2. Nature of Reserve Food Material
Di erent algal groups store di erent types of reserve food substances, which serve as a diagnostic
feature.
[Link] and Structure of Cell Wall
The chemical composition of the cell wall varies among algal groups and is used as a classi cation
criterion.
4.. Thallus Organization (Morphological Structure)
Fritsch considered the range of thallus organization as a major basis of classi cation
[Link] of Motile Cells (Flagella)
The presence, number, type, and position of agella in motile stages (zoospores and gametes) are
important taxonomic characters
[Link] of Reproduction
The mode of reproduction—vegetative, asexual, and sexual—plays a signi cant role in classi cation.
[Link] Cycle Pattern
Variation in life cycle patterns was also considered important by Fritsch.
[Link] Features
Certain cellular characteristics, such as nucleus structure and chloroplast organization, were also
used as supporting criteria in classi cation.
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He classified algae into 11 classes, the names of which are given below:

1. Chlorophyceae(Green algae)
2. Xanthophyceae(Yellow-green algae)
3. Chrysophyceae(Golden algae)
4. Bacillariophyceae(Diatom)
5. Cryptophyceae
6. Dinophyceae
7. Chloromonadineae
8. Euglenophyceae
9. Phaeophyceae(Brown algae)
10. Rhodophyceae(Red algae)
11. Myxophyceae/Cyanophyceae(Blue-green algae)
 Class Order Example Diagram Features

Chlorophyceae [Link] 1)Chlamydomonas • Mostly freshwater algae.

(Green Algae) , • Pigments include

[Link] Volvox chlorophyll a & b with
2)Chlorella , carotenoids, giving a
[Link]
Scenedesmus bright green colour.
[Link] 3)Ulothrix
4)Cladophora • Reserve food material is
[Link] 5)Oedogonium Fig:Chlamydomonas starch, stored inside
6)Spirogyra chloroplast around
[Link] 7) Caulerpa pyrenoids.

8) Acetabularia • Cell wall is mainly

[Link]
[Link] composed of
[Link] cellulose, sometimes

Fig: Scenedesmus with pectose

[Link] substances.
 Xanthophyceae [Link] 1. Mostly freshwater
[Link]
(yellow-green algae) algae, some occur
[Link]
[Link] in terrestrial and
[Link]
damp habitats.
[Link]
[Link] 2. Pigments:
[Link] chlorophyll a & c
[Link]
[Link] present,
chlorophyll b
5. Vaucheria Fig:Vaucheria
absent, giving
yellow-green
6. Rhizochloris colour.

3. Reserve food: oil

and leucosin
(chrysolaminarin)
instead of starch.

4. Motile cells have

two unequal
agella
(heterokont type).
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 1.
Chrysophyceae
Chrysomonadale
[Link] 1. Mostly freshwater
(Golden algae) s 2. Rhizochrysis algae, commonly
[Link] found in ponds
2.
Rhizochrysidale
[Link] and lakes as
s [Link] plankton.

3.
2. Cells are unicellular
Chrysosphaerale
s or colonial, often
agellated or non-
4. Chrysotrichales Fig:Chromulina
motile forms.
5. Chrysocapsales
3. Pigments include
chlorophyll a & c
with carotenoids
(fucoxanthin),
giving golden-
brown colour.

4. Reserve food is
leucosin
(chrysolaminarin)
and oils, not
starch.
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Bacillariophyceae 1. Centrales 1. Cell wall is made of
[Link]
(Diatom) (centric silica forming a
2. Navicula hard frustule.
diatoms)

2. Pennales 2. Frustule consists of

two overlapping
(pennate
halves, epitheca and
diatoms)
hypotheca.

3. They have golden-

brown colour due to
fucoxanthin
pigment.

4. Food is stored
mainly as oil and
chrysolaminarin.

Fig:Navicula
Cryptophyceae [Link]
1. Cryptomonas. 1. Cells are small,
unicellular, and
biflagellate with
unequal flagella.

2. They possess

Fig: Cryptomonas.
chlorophyll a and c
along with unique
accessory pigments
called phycobilins.

3. Cells are usually

covered by a flexible
periplast instead of a
rigid cell wall.

4. They are mainly

freshwater or marine
photosynthetic
organisms with starch-
like food storage.
 [Link] agellal
Dinophyceae Ceratium, 1. Cells are mostly
es unicellular and
Peridinium biflagellate with two
unequal flagella
placed in grooves.

2. Cell wall (theca) is

made of cellulose
plates forming an
Fig: Ceratium
armored structure in
many species.

3. They possess
pigments like
chlorophyll a, c and
xanthophylls giving
yellow-brown
colour.

4. Many species show

bioluminescence and
cause red tides in
marine waters.
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Chloromonadineae [Link] Chloromonas 1. Cells are
nadales unicellular, green
flagellates with one
or two flagella.

2. They contain
chlorophyll a and
b, giving a bright
green colour.

3. Cell wall is absent

Fig:Chloromonas or very thin, usually
a flexible pellicle
present.

4. They are mostly

freshwater,
photosynthetic
organisms with
starch as reserve
food.
Euglenophyceae Euglenales Euglena, Phacus, 1. Cells are
Trachelomonas unicellular,
elongated and move
by one or two
flagella.

Fig:Euglena 2. Cell wall is absent;

instead a flexible
protein layer called
pellicle is present.

3. They contain
chlorophyll a and
b, giving green
colour like higher
plants.

4. Reserve food is
stored as paramylon
(a carbohydrate).
Phaeophyceae [Link] 1. Ectocarpus 1. They are mostly
(Brown algae) 2. Dictyota marine,
2. Dictyotales
3. Laminaria multicellular

[Link] 4. Fucus brown algae found

in cold temperate
4. Fucales seas.

2. They contain
pigments like
Fig:Laminaria chlorophyll a, c
and fucoxanthin,
which give brown
colour.

3. Their cell wall is

made of cellulose
and algin (a
mucilaginous
substance).

4. Food is stored as
laminarin and
mannitol.
 Rhodophyceae 1. Bangiales 1. Bangia, Porphyra 1. They are mostly
[Link] marine,
[Link]
3. Cryptonemia multicellular red
[Link] [Link] algae with red
es [Link] colour due to
phycoerythrin
4. Gigartinales
pigment.
5. Ceramiales
Fig:Polysiphonia 2. They lack flagella
in all stages of life.

3. Cell wall contains

cellulose and
mucilaginous
substances
(agar and
carrageenan).

4. Food is stored as
oridean starch.
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 Myxophyceae [Link] 1. Chroococcus 1. They are prokaryotic,
unicellular or
es 2. Oscillatoria
lamentous blue-
3. Nostoc green algae without a
[Link]
4. Stigonema true nucleus.
s
Fig:Nostoc 2. They contain
3. Nostocales chlorophyll a and
phycocyanin, which
[Link] give a blue-green
colour.
es
3. Cell wall is made of
mucilaginous sheath
with peptidoglycan
layer.

4. They reproduce only by

asexual methods

(binary ssion,
fragmentation,
hormogonia), no
sexual
reproduction.
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 ***Classi cation of Algae According to R.E. Lee(2008)

R. E. Lee (in Phycology, 2008) proposed a phylogenetic (evolutionary) classi cation of algae. It is
based on ultrastructure, pigments, and molecular evolution, not just simple morphology.

Main Criteria Used in Lee’s Classi cation:

• Cell Organization
• Chloroplast Origin and Membrane Structure
• Photosynthetic Pigments
• Reserve Food Materials
• Flagellar Structure
• Cell Wall Composition
• Reproductive Features & Life Cycle
• Molecular & Evolutionary Data

Classi cation of Algae (R. E. Lee, 2008):

1. Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)

Features:
* Prokaryotic (no true nucleus)
* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin
* No chloroplast
* Reserve food: glycogen-like substance (cyanophycean starch)
* Cell wall: peptidoglycan
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 * Reproduction: asexual (binary ssion, fragmentation)
Examples:
Nostoc, Anabaena, Oscillatoria

2. Glaucophyta
Features:
* Primitive eukaryotic algae
* Chloroplasts called cyanelles (contain peptidoglycan → evidence of evolution from cyanobacteria)
* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, phycobilins
* Reserve food: starch
* Mostly freshwater
Examples:
Cyanophora, Glaucocystis

3. Rhodophyta (Red algae)

Features:

* Mostly marine (especially deep water)

* Pigments: chlorophyll-a + phycoerythrin (red)
* No agella at any stage
* Reserve food: oridean starch
* Cell wall: cellulose + agar/carrageenan

Examples:
Polysiphonia, Porphyra, Gelidium
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4. Chlorophyta (Green algae)
Features:

* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b

* Chloroplast present with pyrenoids
* Reserve food: true starch
* Cell wall: cellulose
* Motile cells with equal agella

Examples:
Chlamydomonas, Spirogyra, Volvox, Ulothrix

5. Charophyta
Features:

* Closest relatives of land plants

* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, b
* Complex multicellular body
* Cell division similar to higher plants
* Oogamous reproduction

Examples:
Chara, Coleochaete, Nitella
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6. Chromalveolata / Stramenopiles (Heterokonts)
General Features:

* Two unequal agella (one hairy, one smooth)

* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, c + fucoxanthin (brown color)
* Reserve food: laminarin or oil

Includes:

➤ Brown algae (Phaeophyceae)

* Large multicellular (kelps)

* Marine
* Cell wall: cellulose + algin

Examples:
Fucus, Laminaria, Sargassum

➤ Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae)

* Unicellular
* Silica cell wall (frustule)
* Important in phytoplankton

Examples:
Navicula, Pinnularia
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 7. Dino agellata (Dinophyta)
Features:

* Unicellular
* Two agella (transverse + longitudinal)
* Cell wall: theca (cellulose plates)
* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, c, peridinin
* Some cause red tide and are toxic

Examples:
Ceratium, Peridinium, Gonyaulax
8. Euglenozoa (Euglenoids)
Features:

* Unicellular, motile
* No true cell wall (pellicle present)
* Pigments: chlorophyll-a, b
* Reserve food: paramylon
* Mixotrophic (photosynthesis + heterotrophic)

Examples:
Euglena, Phacus
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 Seaweeds of Bangladesh

Seaweeds of Bangladesh are marine macroalgae found mainly along the Bay of
Bengal coast, especially around Saint Martin’s Island, Cox’s Bazar, Kutubdia,
Maheshkhali, and the Sundarbans region.
These seaweeds belong mainly to three major groups: Chlorophyta(green),
Phaeophyta (brown), and Rhodophyta (red).
Seaweeds are marine macroalgae growing attached to rocks, coral reefs, shells, and
other substrates in coastal saline water. Bangladesh has a rich seaweed ora due
to its long coastline and favorable ecological [Link] 150–200 species of
seaweeds belonging to ~94 genera have been recorded from Bangladesh coastal
waters.
Major Groups of Seaweeds in Bangladesh:
• Green Seaweeds (Division Chlorophyta)
Mostly shallow water species and occur attached to rock and [Link] 22%
of Bangladeshi seaweed ora.
Example:
• Ulva lactuca
• Enteromorpha intestinalis
• Caulerpa racemosa
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 • Bryopsis plumosa
• Halimeda

• Brown Seaweeds (Division Phaeophyta):

Mostly marine common in rocky [Link] 24% of Bangladesh seaweed
ora.
Example:
• Sargassum ilicifolium
• Padina tetrastromatic
• Hydroclathrus clathratus
• Colpomenia sinuosa
• Dictyota ciliolata

• Red Seaweeds (Division Rhodophyta):

Mostly deeper marine water and economically most important [Link] 53%
of Bangladesh seaweed ora.
Example:
• Hypnea musciformis
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• Gracilaria tenuistipitata
• Gelidium
• Porphyra
• Asparagopsis taxiformis
•
***Cultivable Seaweed Species in Bangladesh
Important cultivable species:
• Caulerpa racemosa
• Hypnea musciformis
• Padina tetrastromatica
• Sargassum ilicifolium
• Ulva lactuca
• Ulva intestinalis