Assignment

DISTINUISHING BETWEEN THE FEATURES OF DIVISION CHLOROPHYTA, CHAROPHYTA,

XANTHOPHYTA AND BACILARIOPHTA

Student name: Raheela naz Department: Botany Semester: 5th MA

GENERAL FEATURES OF ALGAL DIVISION

Characteristics Chlorophyta Charophyta Xanthophyta Bacillariophyta

Common Name Green Algae Stonewart Yellow green Algae Diatoms

Habitat The green algae are Primarily freshwater, but they Majority of yellow-green algae Found in fresh, brackish, and
widespread and occur both in can also be found in brackish are freshwater but some of the marine waters worldwide, and
fresh and marine waters, on water and moist soil. species are aerial growing on also in damp terrestrial habitats
moist wood and rocks and on tree trunks, on damp walls or also as epiphytes on other
the surface of and within soil soil on drying mud, A few algae and higher plants
species are marine

Cellular structure Most Chlorophyta are ranges The morphology of charophytes Most Xanthophyta are coccoid Thallus is unicellular,
from ranges from unicellular to or filamentous, but some are uninucleate diploid, they occur
a motile unicell to complex complex multicellular organisms siphonous, meaning that they either as solitary cells or in
heterotrichous filamentous are composed of multiple colonies, which can take the
forms, there are some tubular cells with several nuclei shape of ribbons,fans, zigzags
multicellular species. Some are or in stars.
free-living, some are colonial,
others are coenocytic

Cell wall composition The cell wall composition of The cell wall of charophytes, a The xanthophycean cell wall is The cell wall is made of pectic
Chlorophyceae, or green algae, division of green algae, is made made of two layers, the outer substances which are
can vary, but generally includes up of cellulose, hemicelluloses, layer is pectic and the inner impregnated with silica (SiO2),
cellulose in the inner layer and pectins, and glycoproteins layer is cellulosic. In many So, the cell became very
 pectose in the outer layer. genera the cell wall is in the hard.Cell wall consists of two
form of two equal or unequal overlapping halves called
overlapping halves epitheca and hypotheca

Shape Hollow, spherical or oval Linear or flat structure Coccoid or filamentous Oval, rounded, elongated,
conical, rod shaped, disc
shaped or triangular

Cytoplasm is distinct and Cytoplasm contain chloroplast, There are no membrane Cytoplasm contain
Cytoplasmic
contain typical eukaryotic mitochondria, vacuole bounded organelles like mitochondria,golgi bodies and
organelles oraganlle i,e. chloroplast, chloroplast, endoplasmic reticulum.
mitochondria,golgi bodies and mitochondria,vacuole
endoplasmic reticulum.

Nucleus Single lenticular nuclei Nucleus is present at the centre Dispersed in the protoplast and Nucleus is suspended in the
embedded in a thick cytoplasm not separated by cell walls centre with the help of
cytoplasmic bridges

Some chlorophytes have Some chlorophytes have Two flagella of unequal length, Lack flagella, have no
Flagella
flagella that are equal in length flagellate sperm, others do not one is tinsel other is whiplash locomotory organ
and of whiplash type

Pigments contain chlorophyll a and b, Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, β- Fucoxanthin, Beta-carotenes,
alpha and beta carotenoids and alpha-carotene, xanthophylls, carotene,xanthophyl and the chlorophyll a, and various forms
certain and phycobiliproteins carotenoid diadinoxanthin of chlorophyll c
xanthophyll, Phycocyanin and provides the cells its
Phycoerythrin characteristics yellow-green
colour

Members of Chlorophyceae In Amylum stars and Bulbils The chief reserve foods are oil, The chief food reserve is in the
Storage compounds
store food in the form of starch Charophytes store starch as lipid and leucosin form of oil drops, The excess
or oil droplets their primary reserve food (chrysolaminarine) food is stored in the form of
material. chrysolaminarine

Mode of Green algae reproduce by Charophytes propagate The members of the The diatoms reproduce by
Reproduction vegetative, asexual or sexual asexually or reproduce xanthophyceae usually vegetative and sexual
reproductive methods sexually. Chara can also reproduce vegetatively and reproduction
reproduce through the asexually
development of new vegetative In few genera sexual
shoots from rhizoids. reproduction is also found
 Asexual reproduction may be Asexual reproduction by the Asexual reproduction may be Asexual reproduction may be
Asexual
by zoospores, aplanospores, or formation of spore is absent by zoospores, aplanospores, or by binary fission
Reproduction akinetes
akinetes

Isogamous to oogamous type Strictly oogamous and gametes Sexual reproduction is rare and Isogamous, oogamous and
Sexual Reproduction
produced in Globules in some found oogamous type anisogamous type
(antheridium) and nucule
(archegonium)

Fragmentation, budding and Fragmentation, bulbil formation Fragmentation Cell division

Ecological role Green algae are important as They help control nutrient Their ecological role as oxygen Diatoms mat account for the 20
primary producers in aquatic cycles, improve water clarity, producers and s the food base % of global photosynthetic
ecosystems and serve as provide important food sources for almost all aquatic life carbon fixation
model organisms for studying for water birds and fish, and The xanthophceae have no
photosynthesis and cell biology serve as bioindicators of known practical importance
ecosystem status except for Vaucheria having a
role in stabilization of sediments