APPLIED ASPECTS OF
ALGAE:-FOSSIL ALGAE
AND CYANOBACTERIA
Submit by,
Athira E S
M.Sc. Plant science
ALGAE
▪ The study of algae are called phycology
or Algology.
▪ They are highly heterogeneous
thallophytes which shows high diversity
in various aspects of habitat, organization
and specialization.
FEATURES OF ALGAE
▪ Body- Simple unicellular or Multicellular thallus .
▪ Unicellular thallus- non-motile, rhizopodial and coccoid .
▪ Multicellular thallus – Colonial ,palmelloid ,dendroid,
filamentous, siphonous.
▪ Three levels of organization (Algae cells)
. Prokaryotic
Mesokaryotic
Eukaryotic
▪ Cells- Covered with a rigid cellulose cell wall.
▪ The cells contain plastids and three pigments.
Pigments are
* Chlorophyll
* Carotenoids
*Phycobilins or biliproteins
.Reserve food materials- Starch and oils
. Reproduction
A)Vegetative reproduction – Fragmentation, Hormogonia akinetes
B) Asexual reproduction:- zoospores, auto spores ,Hypnospores
,exospore , endospore, carpospores.
C) Sexual reproduction :-Isogamous, Anisogamous,
Oogamous.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ALGAE
▪ Used as food .
▪ Used as medicine .
▪ Used as fertilizer.
▪ Used as nitrogenous fixation .
▪ Used as fuel.
CYANOBACTERIA
▪ Cyanobacteria is also known as blue-green algae.
▪ They are capable of oxygenic photosynthesis.
▪ It releases oxygen and uses water as an electron-donating subrate.
▪ They are true prokaryotes.
▪ Diameter-1-10 μm.
▪ Shape – *Unicellular
▪ *Colonies of many shapes
▪ *It forms filaments consisting of trichomes (chain of cells) surrounded by
mucilaginous sheet.
▪ Cell wall- Gram –ve type bacteria.
▪ Movement – Lack flagella often use gas vesicles to move in water and
filamentous species have gliding motility.
▪ Reserve food – Glycogen
▪ CO2 is assimilated through Calvin cycle.
▪ Reproduction:-Binary fission or fragments.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
CYANOBACTERIA
▪ As Feed:
Blue green algae especially Arthospira is used as feed stuff.
*Felines
*Canines
*Aquarium fishes
*Cattle
* Breeding bulls
• Therapeutic and Chemopreventive application :
Cyanobacteria pigments like Phycocyanin, Allophycocyanin, Phycoerythrin they show
antioxidant , anti-inflammatory , antitumerous action.
▪ Agricultural purpose :
• They can degrade the pollutants and performe some roles in soil and increase soil fertility.
• They can control nitrogen deficiency in plants.
• Improve the aeration of soil.
• Improve water holding capacity.
• Some nitrogen fixing bacterias are:
• A)Nostoc linckia. B)Anabaena variabilis
•
▪ C)Aulosira fertissima. D)Calothrix sp
E)Tolypothrix sp. F) Scytonema sp
▪ Secondary Metabolites:
The secondary metabolites are produced by cyanobacteria.
It helps them survive in wide range of temperature even which are
extreme .
FOSSIL ALGAE
▪ The fossil are the trace of some plants or animals which are preserved by the
natural resources like rocks are called fossils.
▪ Only very few algae fossils are well preserved and Identified.
▪ Some algaes have silicified cell wall (diatoms) So that they are well preserved and
identified and studied in detail.
▪ Various ways to prevent algae fossils.
Impression
Molds
Casts
Petrification( They are most common and important)
CYNOPHYCEAE
▪ Fossilized Cynophyceae is also known as cyanobacteria.
▪ They are microorganisms.
▪ They are data back of the precambrian era.
(around 3 billion years ago)
▪ Most of the blue green algae fossils are seen in the form of impression
▪ They are seen as globular and thread like.
RODOPHYCEAE
▪ They are also called red algae.
▪ They belong to corallinaceae.
▪ Corallinaceae means they are the group of lime incrustated members.
▪ These fossils were rich in cretaceous and Tertiary period.
▪ Coral reef( huge calcarius masses)- They have been formed by genera perticularly in tropic area.
▪ Common Corel reef forming red algae genera of Indian oceans are
Lithophyllum
Gonilithon
Porolithon
Lithothamnion
PHEOPHYCEAE
▪ The characteristics fossil of Pheophyceae type is prototaxites as described by Dawson from upper
Devonian period.
▪ Length-2.2-2.3m
▪ Diameter-1m
▪ Fossil of some other brown algaes like
*Entocarpus
*Dictyota
*Cutleria
*Fucus
They all were described from later period.
BASILLARIOPHYCEAE
▪ They are most recognizable fossil.
▪ Their silicon wall are especially preserved.
▪ Oldest known diatoms is Pyxidiculla bollensis from Jurassic.
▪ 60-70 genera of basillariophyceae are known from the upper cretaceous to the present.
CHLOROPHYCEAE
▪ They have oldest geological record.
▪ They extend from the precambrian to the present.
▪ It is belived the chlorophytes reach their maximum in the middle cretaceous.
▪ Dasycladaceae
▪ They became more complex during palaeozoic and diversified prominently
Mesozoic, Cycloerineus.
▪ It looks like a miniature golf ball.
▪ Codiaceae.
▪ They are the best represented family of rock building algae.
▪ Characeae.
▪ The fossil records of chlorophytes suggest “that this group was an early offshoot
from the Chlorophyceae line.
UTILITY OF ALGAE FOSSILS
▪ Indicators of oil deposition.
▪ Algal fossils are important in locating petroleum bearing rocks.
(Cocolithophorides)
• Diatomaceous earth.
• Large deposits' formed due to the accumulation of siliceous cell wall of
diatoms are called that diatomaceous earth .
• Indicators of early environment and evolution
• Early fossils are used to determining different geological periods and era
• Indicators of changing ecological conditions
• Diatoms prove useful as indicators of changing ecological condition.
▪ Fossils as building stones.
▪ Very large limestone rocks they consist of algae (Lithothamnion
of Miocene age) they are used in making bricks.
▪ They are light and strong and used for making buildings.
▪ Lightweight bricks are made from diatomaceous Earth.
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