Plants (L9+10)

50% of photosynthesis

occurs in the oceans

Photosynthetic species

Plants, red algae, alveolates (dinoflagellates), heterokonts (brown algae), (some) amoeba, euglenoids, diatoms

Plant species

green algae, mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms

In oceans

biomass of primary producers = biomass of primary consumers

On land

biomass of primary producers >> biomass of primary consumers

Photosynthesis is

the creation of glucose using the energy released by the photolysis of water

Chloroplasts are

the result of secondary endosymbiosis

Stromatolites

layered sedimentary formations of cyanobacteria (blue green algae) where there is little movement of water

Euglenids

• unicellular protists

• freshwater and salt water

• chloroplasts from green algae

• no cell wall (pellicle)

• chlorophyll a and b

• store carbs as paramylon

Diatoms (heterokont)

• unicellular protists

• silica case with two valves

• chlorophyll a and c - carotenoid fucoxanthin

• flagellate spores

• store carbs as chrysolaminarin, oils

Brown Algae (heterokont)

• multicellular ‘seaweeds’

• marine and intertidal

• chlorophyll a and c - carotenoid fucoxanthin

• spores with two flagella

• forms structural elements for other organisms

• stores carbs as leucosin and oil

Plankton

• unicellular organism (describes many different groups)

• freshwater and salt water

• spores with two flagella

• coccolithophores (E.huxleyi)

Emiliana huxleyi

• autotrophic phytoplankton (protist)

• covered with carbonate plates

• damaging blooms

• chalk formation

Dinoflagellates

• freshwater and salt water

• some are photosynthetic

• chlorophyll a/c - carotenoids

• two flagellae (for movement)

• causes bioluminescence

• symbionts in coral (zooxanthellae) and giant clams

Red Algae

• (mostly) marine seaweeds related to green algae

• chlorophyll a/d, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanins

• no flagellae

Coralline (crustose) red algae

secrete CaCO3 on their surface, important reef component

Green algae

• uni and multicellular organisms

• freshwater and salt water

• chlorophyll a/b, carotenoids

• stores carbs as starch

2 main groups of green algae

chlorophytes, charophytes

Chlamydomonas

• single-celled chlorophyte

• freshwater and salt water (and snow)

• first algal genome sequenced

• model organism

Charales - stoneworts

• Freshwater

• flagellate spores

• cellular differentiation of tissues

Sister group to embryophytes (land plants)

Zygnematales (Desmidiales) freshwater ‘pond scum’ charophytes, single-celled, filamentous

Adapting to land

• reduce dependence on water for reproduction

• increase in height

• transition from spores to seeds

• diversification of leaves

• pollen and seed dispersal

Bryophytes

paraphyletic group of embryophytes; liverworts, hornworts, mosses

Association with fungi allowed

bryophytes to adapt to terrestrial life

Sporophyte (2n) is not

photosynthetic and is nourished by the gametophyte (n) (extended haploid phase)

Zygnematales

short haploid stage, long diploid stage

Plants are haplodiploidy

have multicellular haploid (gametophyte) and diploid stages (sporophyte)

Bryophytes in wet/tropical habitats

extend the gametophyte stage

Alternation of generation (reproductive cycle of plants and algae)

predominant life cycle type in plants in which both stages are multicellular