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I. Diagnostic Characters of the Red Algae.

bullet How many are there? about 600 genera with 5500 morphological species.
bullet How old are they?  590 million years old for those with calcification.
bullet Where are red algae found?
bullet 10 %of species in freshwater habitats.
bullet 90 % marine species with  tropical sites predominantly red algae.
bullet In Hawai'i, about 70 % of our marine algal species are red algae.
bullet These algae can produce substantial biomass and several species calcify (like corals).
bullet How are their cells organized? One to multinucleate organization.
bullet What pigments do they possess?
bullet Chlorophyll a and phycobilins that are assembled into a phycobilisome.
bullet Certain tropical genera possess ability to synthesize orange carotenoids that appear to protect plants from too much sun.
bullet How is the chloroplast constructed?
bullet Thylakoids do not stack at all; they form NO grana.
bullet Chloroplast is enclosed by double unit membrane.
bullet What storage product is made? 
bullet Floridean starch with alpha 1,4 linked glucans. 
bullet This starch lacks the amylose unbranched portion of "starch".
bullet Cell wall features?
bullet Cellulose fibrils embedded in an amorphous matrix of polysaccharide.
bullet The polysaccharides are of at least two types: agar or carrageenan.
bullet Cell and thallus complexity? 
bullet A few species are unicells but show no sexual reproduction.
bullet Unicells lack flagella; they can not swim.
bullet There are multicellular complex thalli; the majority of them grow via apical cell division.
bullet These macrophtyes typically have non-swimming unicells as life-history components (gametes or spores).

II. Simplest cell construction.

Porphyridium

There is no sexual reproduction cycle know for this alga.

III. Developmental lineages and a single life history strategy.

Simple to increasingly complex (Orders Bangiales and Nemaliales) with the intermediate life history strategies, the Sporic Meiosis pattern

bullet Porphyra w/ a heteromorphic alternation of generations via the conchocelis phase.
bullet Liagora typically with a heteromorphic alternation of generations via a microscopic phase.

These genera typically reproduce via the Sporic Meiosis Life History

Increasingly complex adult morphologies (Order Gigartinales) and intermediate life history

bullet Gracilaria
bullet Hypnea

All of these genera reproduce via the Sporic Meiosis Life History

Most complex adult morphology  (Order Ceramiales) and intermediate life history

bullet Polysiphonia
bullet Laurencia

All of these genera reproduce via the Sporic Meiosis Life History

IV. Recap major themes.

Increasing complexity shown in changes in adult morphologie.   Life history strategies have subtle distinctions among orders.

Gamete type is extremely conservative character with all sexually reproducing species having oogamy - a nonmotile "egg" and spherical (non-motile) males.

Is there any significance to the males being colorless?

V.  Hot Links

Red Algae, UC Berkeley Porphyra culture as "nori"
California red algae, Sonoma State University Polysiphonia page
   

This page is maintained by Celia Smith and intended for use by undergraduates and graduates, Botany Dept, Univ Hawai'i at Manoa.