desmids

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desmids Unicellular green algae of the class Desmidioideae. Like Spirogyra, they have an elaborate chloroplast. The cells of desmids are characteristically split into two halves joined by a narrow neck, each half being a mirror image of the other. The outer wall of the cell is patterned with various protuberances and covered with a mucilaginous sheath, which is thought to play a role in the cell's slow gliding movement. Desmids are found mainly in fresh water.

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