algae

Home > ... > Plants and Animals > Microbes, Algae, and Fungi > Moneran and Protistan > ...

algae

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

algae [plural of Lat. alga =seaweed], a large and diverse group of primarily aquatic plantlike organisms. These organisms were previously classified as a primitive subkingdom of the plant kingdom, the thallophytes (plants that lack true roots, stems, leaves, and flowers). More recently, most algae have been classified in the kingdom Protista or in another major group called the eukarya (or eukaryotes), which includes animals and higher plants. The algae have chlorophyll and can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis . They are distributed worldwide in the sea, in freshwater, and in moist situations on land. Nearly all seaweeds are marine algae. Algae that thrive in polluted water, some of which are toxic, can overmultiply, resulting in an algal bloom and seriously unbalancing their ecosystem.

Types of Algae

The simplest algae are single cells (e.g., the diatoms ); the more complex forms consist of many cells grouped in a spherical colony (e.g., Volvox ), in a ribbonlike filament (e.g., Spirogyra ), or in a branching thallus form (e.g., Fucus ). The cells of the colonies are generally similar, but some are differentiated for reproduction and for other functions. Kelps, the largest algae, may attain a length of more than 200 ft (61 m). Euglena and similar genera are free-swimming one-celled forms that contain chlorophyll but that are also able, under certain conditions, to ingest food in an animallike manner. The green algae include most of the freshwater forms. The pond scum , a green slime found in stagnant water, is a green alga, as is the green film found on the bark of trees. The more complex brown algae and red algae are chiefly saltwater forms; the green color of the chlorophyll is masked by the presence of other pigments. Blue-green algae have been grouped with other prokaryotes in the kingdom Monera and renamed cyanobacteria .

See the separate phyla (divisions) Chlorophyta , Euglenophyta , Dinoflagellata , Chrysophyta , Phaeophyta , Rhodophyta .

Uses of Algae

Algae, the major food of fish (and thus indirectly of many other animals), are a keystone in the aquatic food chain of life; they are the primary producers of the food that provides the energy to power the whole system. They are also important to aquatic life in their capacity to supply oxygen through photosynthesis. Seaweeds, e.g., the kelps (kombu) and the red algae Porphyra (nori), have long been used as a source of food, especially in Asia. Both cultivated and naturally growing seaweeds have been harvested in the Pacific Basin for hundreds of years. Kelp are also much used as fertilizer, and kelp ash is used industrially for its potassium and sodium salts. Other useful algae products are agar and carrageen, which is used as a stabilizer in foods, cosmetics, and paints.

Bibliography

See H. C. Bold and M. J. Wynne, Introduction to the Algae: Structure and Reproduction (1985); C. A. Lembi and J. R. Waaland, Algae and Human Affairs (1988); C. van den Hoek, Algae: an Introduction to Phycology (1994).

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-algae" title="Facts and information about algae">algae</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"algae." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"algae." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 8, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-algae.html

"algae." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 08, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-algae.html

Learn more about citation styles

algae

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | © A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

algae Simple plants that do not show differentiation into roots, stems, and leaves. They are mostly aquatic—either seaweeds or pond and river‐weeds. Some seaweeds, such as dulse and Irish moss, have long been eaten, and a number of unicellular algae, including Chlorella, Scenedesmus, and Spirulina spp. have been grown experimentally as novel sources of food (50–60% of the dry weight is protein).

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O39-algae" title="Facts and information about algae">algae</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DAVID A. BENDER. "algae." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "algae." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (November 8, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-algae.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "algae." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved November 08, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-algae.html

Learn more about citation styles

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

ALGAE - THE WONDER CROP OF TOMORROW?
Magazine article from: BioCycle; 6/1/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...no silver bullet solutions to cheap energy, but algae could come close. Algae has the capacity to remediate carbon dioxide (CO2...provide dietary and medicinal supplements for humans. Algae technology developers are racing toward commercial...
Algae: Meet the latest 'miracle pill'.(Originated from Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service; 12/5/1997; ; 700+ words ; ...the health-food market: blue-green algae, dried, powdered and packaged in capsule form. Promoters say popping these algae-packed capsules boosts your energy...wallet. Though hardly new _ blue-green algae has been in health food stores for years...
algae
Magazine article from: Better Nutrition; 5/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...YOUR KEY TO GOOD HEALTH When you think of algae, pond scum probably comes to mind. But...rundown of three of the most common types of algae supplements. blue-green Ironically, the widely known "bluegreen algae" isn't really algae at all, but bacteria...
ALGAE FUEL MAKES SPLASH AT INTERNATIONAL SHOW
News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News; 8/11/2008; 700+ words ; ...findings and research on the application of algae-based oils for creating biofuels at the...was a 75-gallon tank of bright green algae. The tank was, in fact, a bioreactor...ground" container that promotes accelerated algae growth. The exhibit was the high note...
Algae - like a breath mint for smokestacks.(USA)
Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor; 1/11/2006; 700+ words ; ...BOSTON -- Isaac Berzin is a big fan of algae. The tiny, single-celled plant, he...while working on an experiment for growing algae on the International Space Station, he...If he could find the right strain of algae, he figured he could turn the nation...
Algae will always compete for life
Newspaper article from: Sun, The: Homer Township - Lockport - Lemont (IL); 4/16/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...green. We are looking forward to summer, but in the past, we have had to deal with long, stringy algae and green algae. How do we get rid of algae? A: You describe your pond as a water garden. But without plants, your pond will be more like...
Algae Enhancing the Market and Going Beyond Energy Alternatives: Delivery May Not Be as Far as Projected.
Newspaper article from: Biotech Week; 6/17/2009; 700+ words ; ...alternative energy and sustainability, algae is the latest in the green movement towards...only truly "green" sources of biofuel - algae starts out green and creates green byproducts...exporter of clean energy. That's because algae is not only sustainable but is also a renewable...
Algae may provide key new source of energy
Newspaper article from: The Record (Bergen County, NJ); 12/2/2007; ; 700+ words ; ...Record (Bergen County, NJ) 12-02-2007 Algae may provide key new source of energy...scientists around the world are racing to turn algae into a commercially viable energy source. Some varieties of algae are as much as 50 percent oil, and that...
Algae Study Will Be First to Get Handle on Lake Toxins Near Tavares, Fla.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News; 8/30/2001; 700+ words ; ...one particular strain of toxic algae, Cylindrospermopsis, have...Lake Griffin alligators. The algae were discovered three years...Microcystis and other strains of toxic alga have been linked to animal deaths...health problem worldwide. The algae produce a wide variety of toxins...
ALGAE ODOR LINGERS ON BEACHES A SOLUTION TO AREA'S ROTTEN EGG SMELL CONTINUES TO ELUDE SCIENTISTS
Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 7/14/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...Pilayella littoralis, a rare brown sea algae that has been reproducing in Nahant Bay...100 years, say scientists. The heavy algae drifts with the tides and winds, causing...to identify a biological solution to the algae, which decomposes beneath the sand, causing...
Click to see an enlarged picture
algae. (Image by Ravidreams, GFDL)

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Current algae News:

Exxon to Invest $600M in Algae-Based Fuel

(7/14/2009 12:37:00 PM)

The Next Great Biofuel: Pond Scum

(4/11/2009 6:35:00 PM)

Geo-Engineers Not Quite Ready to Save Earth

(1/30/2009 10:36:00 PM)

Zoo's Polar Bears Go Green

(9/8/2008 11:38:04 AM)

Chinese Cheered by Eclipse

(8/1/2008 10:23:00 PM)