Red and Brown Algae – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering genera (Fucus, Polysiphonia, Laminaria), reproductive terms (monoecious, dioecious, antheridium, tetraspores, cystocarp), and slide preparation terminology (cs, sect., wm) related to red and brown algae.

Brown Algae (Phaeophyceae)

A group of mostly marine, multicellular algae characterized by the pigment fucoxanthin; includes genera such as Fucus and Laminaria.

Red Algae (Rhodophyta)

A division of primarily marine algae containing phycoerythrin, giving them a red color; includes the genus Polysiphonia.

Fucus

A genus of brown algae (rockweed) found in intertidal zones, noted for air bladders and conceptacles containing sex organs.

Monoecious

Describing an organism that bears both male and female reproductive structures on the same individual (e.g., Fucus monoecious).

Dioecious

Describing a species with separate male and female individuals (e.g., Fucus dioecious).

Cross Section (cs)

A thin slice cut perpendicular to the long axis of a specimen, used to study internal structures under the microscope.

Section (sect.)

A general microscopic slice of tissue, which may be longitudinal, cross, or oblique, prepared for examination.

Whole Mount (wm)

A microscopic preparation in which an entire small organism or structure is mounted intact on a slide.

Polysiphonia

A filamentous red alga characterized by polysiphonous (multi-tubed) branches and a complex triphasic life cycle.

Antheridium (plural: antheridia)

The male gametangium in algae, producing and releasing sperm cells (seen in Polysiphonia antheridia wm).

Tetraspores

Haploid spores produced by meiosis in red algae; they germinate to form the gametophyte generation (observed in Polysiphonia tetraspores wm).

Cystocarp

The swollen, berry-like fruiting body in red algae that houses carpospores after fertilization (seen in Polysiphonia cystocarps wm).

Laminaria

A genus of large brown kelp with a blade-stipe-holdfast body plan; important in marine ecosystems and as a food source (kombu).