If you are asked to classify the various algae into distinct groups, which of the following characters you…
If you are asked to classify the various algae into distinct groups, which of the following characters you should choose?
nature of stored food materials in the cell
structural organization of thallus
chemical composition of the cell wall
types of pigments present in the cell.
Solution
Algae are a group of chlorophyllous, nonvascular plants with thallus plant body. Different algae show different pigments present in the cell like chlorophyll - a, b, xanthophylls, carotenes etc. These pigments provide the base for classification of various groups of algae into different classes. Chlorophyceae possess chlorophyll - a, b pigments, Phaeophyceae has fucoxanthin, and Rhodophyceae has r-phycocyanin.