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Chlorophyta
Chlorophyta (green algae) A division of algae which are typically green in colour. They contain chlorophylls a and b and the storage product (starch) is formed in chloroplasts rather than in the cytoplasm. The organisms take many forms, ranging from unicellular to relatively complex multicellular plants. They are found mainly in freshwater habitats, and their distribution is cosmopolitan. They are known from the Precambrian to the present, and the earliest eukaryotes were probably of this class. The classification of the green algae is controversial. The division Chlorophyta is sometimes regarded as containing only 2 classes (Chlorophyceae and Charophyceae), but more recently it has been divided into 5 classes.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 8, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Chlorophyta.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 08, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-Chlorophyta.html |
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Chlorophyta
Chlorophyta (green algae) A large phylum of algae, the members of which possess chlorophylls a and b, store food reserves as starch, and have cellulose cell walls. In these respects they resemble plants more closely than do any of the other algal phyla, although they are still classified as protoctists. The Chlorophyta are widely distributed and diverse in form. Unicellular forms may occur singly (sometimes with undulipodia (flagella) for motility) or in colonies, while multicellular forms may be filamentous (e.g. Spirogyra) or platelike (e.g. Ulva).
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Cite this article
"Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 8, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-Chlorophyta.html "Chlorophyta." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved February 08, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-Chlorophyta.html |
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