Chlorophyta

CHLOROPHYTA

Green Algae

DIVISION : CHLOROPHYTA | PHAEOPHYTA | RHODOPHYTA | ENCRUSTED ALGAE | SPERMATOPHYTA

BACK TO : PLANTAE

The Chlorophyta have three basic forms of body :

Simple Green Algae

Enteromorpha, Ulva comprise of sheets one to two layers thick.

The Chaetomorpha species are simple and unbranched filaments of cells that are placed end to end.

In the Cladophora the filaments are branched.

Stalked Greens

These seaweeds are made up of continuous, branching tubes with numerous nuclei and few or no cross-walls, even though the plant may be quite complex in structure. The chloroplasts in their tubes can migrate up and down in the tubes making the best of the light intensity. They migrate to the surface when the light is very dull and away from the surface when light reaches destructive excessiveness. Many species contain chemicals that deter herbivores.

Codiums and Valonia

The Codiums have thick spongy branches that comprise of interwoven tubes that end in utricles (specialized swellings) which cover the surface. When Codium is squeezed the utricles separate. In Pseudocodium on the other hand the sells adhere to one another. Valonia consists of interconnected baloon-like sacs.

Chlorophyta contains the green pigments chlorophyll a & b which are the same as those found in the higher land plants. The chlorophyll a traps the energy from the sun and converts it into chemical energy for the manufacturing of organic products during photosynthesis.

The Chlorophyta have a simple life cycle in which it alternates between a sporophyte and gametophyte generation. The sporophytes produce spores which scatter, settle and develop into male and female sexual gametophytes. The gametes, which are then released from the gametophytes, fuse and form new sporophytes. The two generations are similar in appearance.