Untitled Flashcards Set

Stramenopiles

A subgroup of chromalveolates that includes photosynthetic marine algae and heterotrophic protists, characterized by having a hairy flagellum.

Diatoms

Unicellular photosynthetic protists that have intricately patterned glassy cell walls composed of silicon dioxide.

Raphe

A slit in the silica shell of some diatoms through which they expel mucopolysaccharides for attachment or movement.

Golden Algae

Largely unicellular algae known for their gold color from carotenoids, found in freshwater and marine environments.

Brown Algae

Multicellular marine organisms known as seaweeds, including giant kelp, with structures resembling terrestrial plants.

Oomycetes

Water molds characterized by a cellulose-based cell wall and filamentous structures, some of which are plant pathogens.

Asexual reproduction

A mode of reproduction where organisms replicate without the fusion of gametes, common in diatoms.

Colonial organisms

Organisms that are composed of a group of genetically identical individuals, as seen in some golden algae.

Kelp

Large brown algae that can grow to significant lengths, forming underwater forests.

Photosynthesis

The process used by some protists, such as diatoms and golden algae, to convert light energy into chemical energy.

Carbon cycle

The process through which carbon is exchanged among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.

Phytophthora infestans

A plant pathogen responsible for late blight in potatoes, contributing to the 19th-century Irish potato famine.