Why Is Phycology Essential in Biology?
What Is The Meaning Of Phycology?
The Branch of science that deals with the study of algae is called Phycology. It also consists of the study of different other prokaryotic organisms like blue-green algae and cyanobacteria. Many scientists also call this Branch of science as algology.The photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms that are found in an aquatic environment which do not have real roots or leaves or stems and do not produce flowers are called algae. Phytoplanktons are unicellular, but algae-like seaweeds and sargassum are multicellular. The algae have many medicinal uses too. Some algae are even used to make life-saving drugs. Some of them can cure degenerative diseases too. For these medical reasons also, Phycology is an essential branch of science.
Study Of Algae
Every year, New species of algae are discovered. They are essential because they are the most primary plant in both salt and freshwater aquatic environments. The study of algae is called phycology, which is a subdivision of botany. Photosynthesis is the process to produce energy and give out oxygen. Algae are generally found in aquatic environments, but they can be found in any marine environment. Algae preferably travel in the form of spores and can be found in water, air, mixed with dust, and even inside us. It makes it very hard to track where algae can live. Algae are usually found in natural hot springs, on the surface of duck’s feet, on the surface of the belly of a whale, on the fur of polar bears in zoos, as scum on the surface of the water of the pond, and on the surface of snow and ice in the centre of the mountains. Algae can also be in the form of microscopic spores in destinations like Antarctica, or they can also grow up to 65 meters as kelp in an underwater sea forest.
Algae are generally associated with smelly swamps and scummy ponds. They are coloured, red, brown, or green. The colours usually come from their photosynthetic pigments. Photosynthesis is described as the ability for a plant to produce energy and give out oxygen. Algae is the most primary producer of oxygen on Earth. Without algae, we cannot survive as they are the primary producer of algae.
Applications Of Algae
Algae has been regarded as “the world’s most important plants.” A lot of development is devoted to the study of algology– a word that is frequently confused with psychology, which is ultimately another sector of science. Large universities which dedicate themselves to research regarding Phycology, massive corporations, and even everyday folks generate huge benefits from algae. It has incredible environmental, social and financial potential.
Algae is a primary ingredient in toothpaste. It is also one of the components of ice cream. They are generally used as food ingredients, fertilizers, thickeners, dyes, pharmaceuticals, fuels, pollution controls, nutritional supplements, sewage treatments, and animal feed. Algae are usually found in foods such as sushi and individual salads. Apart from food and medicine, there are many applications of algae. The researchers always try to dig out something or the other fact or experimental works regarding the algae.
Algaculture
One of the most important aspects of any branch of science is its culture. Like other branches of science, Phycology also has a separate stream of its culture that is algaculture. Algaculture is the process of farming of algae. It deals with the procedure of growing a plant very fast and in an environmentally friendly way. Most of the time, Algae farmers dedicate their time for farming and harvesting microalgae to be used for health supplements or biofuel. These new algae applications are a big deal and have generated some serious potential. Algae have even been regularly featured on many infotainment Channels like the “Dirty Jobs' '.
Solved Examples
1. What are some common algae?
Euglenophyta. Euglena gracilis / Algae. ...
Chrysophyta. Diatoms. ...
Pyrrophyta (Fire Algae) Dinoflagellates pyrolysis (Fire algae). ...
Chlorophyta (Green Algae) ...
Rhodophyta (Red Algae) ...
Phaeophyta (Brown Algae) ...
Xanthophyta (Yellow-Green Algae)
Fun Facts
Algae can usually range from giant kelp of about 100 ft. It extends varieties of microbes called cyanobacteria, which is also known as blue-green algae.
Cyanobacteria can also be used to make our breakfast smoothie. Spirulina is also known as the “superfood”.Non-toxic cyanobacteria are very popular for its nutritional profile, which includes proteins, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.
In Chad, the Kanembu people regularly harvest spirulina from local lakes for a very long time, since the 1940s, way ahead of the superfood trend. Even earlier, the Aztecs also used to eat a different species of the cyanobacteria, collected from the ancient Lake Texcoco — which regularly drains during colonial times — where Mexico City now stands.
FAQs on Phycology: The Science of Algae
1. What is phycology, and what does it encompass?
Phycology, also known as algology, is the scientific discipline within biology dedicated to the study of algae. This field covers a vast range of topics, including their classification, structure, life cycles, metabolism, and ecological roles. Phycology examines everything from microscopic, single-celled organisms like Chlamydomonas to large, complex seaweeds like kelp. It also includes the study of prokaryotic cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae, due to their similar ecological functions.
2. What are the main characteristics that define organisms as algae?
Algae are a diverse group of primarily aquatic, plant-like organisms. Their key characteristics include:
- Photosynthetic: Most algae contain chlorophyll and other pigments to produce their own food through photosynthesis.
- Simple Body Structure: They have a simple, undifferentiated body called a thallus, lacking true roots, stems, or leaves.
- Aquatic Habitat: They are predominantly found in marine and freshwater environments, though some exist in moist terrestrial habitats.
- Reproduction: They reproduce through vegetative, asexual, and sexual methods.
3. How are the three major classes of algae—Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae, and Rhodophyceae—different from each other?
The three major classes of algae are differentiated based on their primary photosynthetic pigments, stored food, and cell wall composition.
- Chlorophyceae (Green Algae): Contain Chlorophyll a and b, giving them a grass-green colour. They store food as starch and have a cell wall made of cellulose.
- Phaeophyceae (Brown Algae): Contain Chlorophyll a and c, along with a pigment called fucoxanthin, which gives them their characteristic brown colour. They store food as mannitol and laminarin, and their cell wall has an outer gelatinous coating of algin.
- Rhodophyceae (Red Algae): Contain Chlorophyll a and d and a red pigment called phycoerythrin, which allows them to absorb blue light and live in deeper waters. They store food as floridean starch and have a complex cell wall containing cellulose, pectins, and phycocolloids like agar and carrageenan.
4. What is the economic and ecological importance of algae?
Algae are immensely important both ecologically and economically. Ecologically, they are the primary producers in aquatic food webs, performing about half of the total carbon dioxide fixation on Earth and releasing oxygen. Economically, they have numerous applications:
- Food Source: Species like Porphyra (laver) and Laminaria (kelp) are consumed by humans.
- Commercial Products: Agar, obtained from Gelidium and Gracilaria, is used in labs and to make jellies. Algin from brown algae and carrageenan from red algae are used as thickeners in food and cosmetic products.
- Supplements: Chlorella and Spirulina are rich in protein and used as food supplements.
- Biofuels: Algae are being researched as a promising source for biofuel production.
5. Why do different types of algae have varying colours, such as green, brown, and red?
The colour of algae is determined by the combination of photosynthetic pigments present in their cells. While all algae have chlorophyll a, they possess different accessory pigments that capture light at various wavelengths and give them their distinct colours.
- Green Algae appear green because the chlorophylls (a and b) are dominant and are not masked by other pigments.
- Brown Algae contain fucoxanthin, a brownish pigment that masks the green colour of their chlorophylls (a and c).
- Red Algae possess a red pigment called phycoerythrin, which is so abundant that it masks the green of chlorophyll (a and d). This pigment is highly efficient at absorbing blue and green light, which penetrates deeper into the water, allowing red algae to thrive at greater ocean depths than other algae.
6. What is an algal bloom, and why can it be harmful to the environment?
An algal bloom is a rapid and excessive growth of algae in a water body, often caused by an oversupply of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, a process known as eutrophication. While algae are essential for aquatic life, these blooms can be very harmful. They block sunlight from reaching other aquatic plants, and when the massive population of algae dies, their decomposition by bacteria consumes large amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water. This creates a low-oxygen or 'hypoxic' zone, which can lead to the death of fish and other aquatic animals. Some algal blooms, known as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), involve algae that produce toxins dangerous to both wildlife and humans.
7. Who is known as the 'Father of Phycology'?
F. E. Fritsch (Felix Eugen Fritsch) is widely regarded as the 'Father of Phycology' for his extensive and comprehensive work on the structure, classification, and reproduction of algae. His book, "The Structure and Reproduction of the Algae," is a foundational text in the field. In the context of India, M. O. P. Iyengar (Mandayam Osuri Parthasarathy Iyengar) is celebrated as the 'Father of Indian Phycology' for his pioneering research on the algae of South India.
8. Explain the different methods of reproduction found in algae.
Algae exhibit a variety of reproductive strategies, which can be broadly categorised into three types:
- Vegetative Reproduction: This is the simplest method, occurring mainly through fragmentation. In this process, the algal thallus breaks into smaller pieces, and each fragment develops into a new individual.
- Asexual Reproduction: This involves the production of different types of spores. The most common are zoospores, which are motile (flagellated) and germinate to form new plants upon finding a suitable substrate.
- Sexual Reproduction: This occurs through the fusion of two gametes. It can be isogamous (fusion of similar-sized gametes), anisogamous (fusion of gametes dissimilar in size), or oogamous (fusion of a large, non-motile female gamete with a small, motile male gamete).
