Survey of Protists: The Algae (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Survey of Protists notes focusing on the algae, protists, reproduction, and major algal groups.

Protists

A diverse group of eukaryotes not classified as Fungi, Animalia, or Plantae; typically moist, mostly microscopic, and not a single well-defined lineage.

Algae

Photosynthetic protists comprising about 10 phyla; largely aquatic; polyphyletic and not descended from a single common ancestor.

Green algae (Chlorophyta)

A major algal phylum with chlorophylls a and b, cellulose cell walls, and starch storage; includes unicellular, colonial, and filamentous forms; may be ancestral to land plants.

Chlamydomonas

Unicellular, motile green alga with two flagella; haploid; reproduces mainly by mitosis; under stress, sexual reproduction forms zygotes/zygspores; meiosis yields haploid cells.

Spirogyra

Filamentous green alga that reproduces sexually by conjugation; opposite mating types form conjugation tubes and a zygospore is produced.

Cladophora

Branched filamentous green alga consisting of multinucleate cells; common in streams.

Conjugation

Sexual reproduction in Spirogyra where adjacent filaments exchange materials through conjugation tubes, leading to zygote/zygospore formation.

Isogametes

Gametes of opposite mating types that are morphologically similar; in Chlamydomonas, + and - gametes are isogametes.

Zygospore

Thick-walled diploid resting spore formed after fusion of gametes; germinates by meiosis.

Zygote

Diploid cell produced by fertilization that may develop into a zygospore or other structures.

Syngamy

Pairing and fusion of morphologically similar haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote.

Alternation of generations

Life cycle that alternates between haploid and diploid multicellular stages.

Diatoms (Bacillariophyta)

Unicellular algae with silica cell walls; important plankton; part of the Stramenopila group.

Brown algae (Phaeophyta)

Multicellular algae with fucoxanthin pigment and storage laminarin; includes kelp; part of Stramenopila.

Red algae (Rhodophyta)

Multicellular algae containing phycoerythrin; part of Archaeplastida.

Green algae pigments (Chlorophylls a and b)

Primary pigments in green algae and land plants; enable photosynthesis.”

Chlorophyll a

Primary photosynthetic pigment found in nearly all photosynthetic organisms.

Chlorophyll b

Accessory pigment found in green algae and land plants; expands light absorption range.