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BIOLOGICAL

IMPORTANCE
OF
PLANKTONS

PLANKTONS

It refers to the collective of organisms that are adapted to spend part or


all of their lives in apparent Suspension in the open water of the sea, of
lakes, ponds and rivers.

Thus, plankton excludes other suspensoids that are either non-living,


such as clay particles and precipitated chemicals, or are fragments or
cadavers derived from biogenic sources.

CLASSIFICATION

Trophic Group

Phytoplankton -

autotrophic, prokaryotic or eukaryotic algae that live near the

water surface where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. Among the more
important groups are the diatoms, cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores.

Zooplankton

Heterotrophic, small protozoans or metazoans (e.g. crustaceans and

other animals) that feed on other plankton and telonemia. Some of the eggs and larvae
of larger animals, such as fish, crustaceans, and annelids, are included here.

Bacterioplankton -

Bacteria and archaea, which play an important role in

remineralising organic material down the water column

IMPORTANCE

Bottom level of food chain

Major Source of Marine Energy.

Phytoplankton are the largest photosynthesizing group.

Commercial importance as it directly influences the fisheries industry

By grazing on phytoplankton, zooplankton provide carbon to the plankton food web, either respiring it to
provide metabolic energy, or upon death as biomass or detritus.

Biogeochemical cycles of many important chemical elements, including the ocean's carbon
cycle.

Increases dissolved oxygen and

decreases toxic gases like ammonia, nitrite, hydrogen

sulphide, methane, carbon dioxide in pond water.

StabilizeS water temperature.

IMPORTANCE

To minimize pathogenic and unwanted microbial population by


competing with the available nutrients in the water.

PIGMENTS IN
ALGAE

CLASSIFICATION

The pigments have important role in the classification of algae.

Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Xanthophyceae,


Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae

CHLOROPHYLLS

Most important chelate in nature. It is capable of channelling the


energy of sunlight into chemical energy.

different types

Chl a, Chl b, Chl c, Chl d, Bacterioviridin (Chlorobium Chlorophyll)


Bacterio chl a, Bacteri chl b

CHLOROPHYLLS

Chl a Reaction Centre

Other Chls Accessory Pigmanets

Porphyrin Structure.

CAROTINOIDS

Accessory Pigments

Carotenes and Xanthophylls

Carotenoids in general absorb


blue light.

Absorb light energy for use in


photosynthesis,

Protect chlorophyll from photo


oxidation or Photo bleaching

PHYCOBILINS

Bilins from Bile

More Phycoeryhtin in
Deep Sea

Chromatic Adaptation
(Gaidukov Phenomenon)

PIGMENTS

SOURCES IN
ALGAE

SUN LIGHT

Primary producers

Phototrophs and Autotrophs

Gathered Light Energy -> Chemical Energy Reserve Food


Materials

Diverse Reserve food Materials in Algae

Reserve Food Materials in Algae


Reserve
Food
High
Molecul
ar
Weight

Floridea
n starch

Low
Molecul
ar
Weight

A 1-4
Linked
Glucans

B-1,3
Linked
glucans

Fructosa
ns

Myxophy
cean
starch

Chrysola
minarin
(leucosin
)

Paramyl
on

Starch

Laminari
n

Sugars

Glycosid
es

Polyols

High Molecular Weight


A 1-4 Linked Glucans

Floridean starch

Rhodophyta and is similar to the amylopectin of higher plants.

Stains red-violet with iodine, giving a color similar animal glycogen.

Floridean starch occurs as bowl shaped grains from 0.5 to 25 um outside the chloroplast, inferring
the host in the original endosymbiosis took over formation of storage product.

This differs from the Chlorophyta where starch is produced in the chloroplast.

Despite the differing locations of starch synthesis, the Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta use a common
pathway in the synthesis of starch

Myxophycean starch

Found in the Cyanophyta, myxophycean starch has a similar structure to glycogen.

This reserve product occurs as granules.

The shape varying between species from rod-shaped granules to 25-nm particles to elongate 31to 67-nm bodies.

Starch

In the Chlorophyta

Amylose and amylopectin.

Inside the chloro plast in the form of starch grains

In the Cryptophyta, starch has an unusually high content of amylose and occurs as
grains between the chloroplast envelope and the chloroplast E.R.

Dinophyta - cytoplasm outside of the chloroplast, but its structure is not known.

1,3 Linked glucans

Laminarin

Phaeophyceae, laminarin consists of a related group of pre - dominantly -1,3 linked glucans
containing 16 to 31 residues.

Variation in the molecule is introduced by the number of 1 6 linkages, the degree of branching,
and the occurrence of a terminal mannitol molecule.

The presence of a high proportion of C-6 inter residue linkages and of branch points determine the
solubility of the poly saccharide in cold water: the greater the number of linkages, the higher the
solubility.

Laminarin occurs as an oil-like liquid outside of the chloroplasts, commonly in a vesicle surrounding
the pyrenoid.

Chrysolaminarin (leucosin)

Chrysophyceae,

Prymnesiophyta,

and

Bacillariophyceae,

chrysolaminarin consists of -1,3 linked D-glucose residues with two


1 6 glycosidic bonds per molecule.

Chrysolaminarin occurs in vesicles outside of the chloroplast and has


more glucose residues per molecule than laminarin.

Paramylon

Euglenophyta, Xanthophyceae, and Prymnesiophyta (Pavlova


mesolychnon),

Water-soluble, single-membrane-bounded inclusions of various


shapes and dimensions outside of the chloroplast.

Solely of -1,3 linked glucose residues, and the molecule is


about as large as that of chrysolaminarin.

Low-molecular-weight compounds
Sugars

Chlorophyta and Euglenophyta form sucrose as a reserve product;


trehalose is found in the Cyanophyta and at low levels in the Rhodophyta.

Glycosides

The glyce rol glycosides, floridoside and isofloridoside, are widely


distributed in the Rhodophyta.

Polyols

Mannitol occurs in Rhodophyta and Phaeophyceae.

It is also present in lower green algae, where it replaces sucrose as a photo


synthetic product.

Free glycerol occurs widely in the algae and is an important photo


synthetic product in several zooxanthellae (endosymbiotic algae in

animals) and in some marine Volvocales, especially Dunaliella.

ECONOMIC

IMPORTANCE OF
ALGAE

Primary Producers

Largest Photo synthesizer in the world.

Bio Matter Accumulation

Carbon Fixation

Algae as food

Parphyratenesa - Japan.

Kambu - another product of algae.

Laminarta is used in Japan as standard food.

Ulva (sea lettuce) is also used Salads.

Galgae chlorena: Percentage of Protein in this algae is too much

than other vegetable or egg, contains vitamins A to D.

Algae is used to decorate pastries, sandwiches, rice, fish, cakes and


jelly cakes in Japan.

Agar Agar is also used in preparation of ice-cream and jellies.

Rhodomenia palmata is chewed like tobacco in Scotland.

SCP

Algae as fodder

Rhodymenia palmate is used as food for sheeps in Narvey.

Laminaria saccharina, Pelvitia, Ascophyllum, etc. species


are used as food for cattle.

Pisciculture

Fertilizer

Blue Green Algae

Nitrogen Fixation

Kelps Sodium Potassium Iodine

Algae in industry

Iodine industry is mainly depended upon algae.

Algae belonging to Phaeophyceae, like Laminaria,


Ecklonia, Eisenia, etc. are used in the industry to
prepare Iodine in industries.

Phyllophora is used to prepare Iodine in Russia.

Alginates are the salts of alginic acid found in the cell wall of
phaeophyceae.

Alginates are extracted from Fucus, Laminaria, Macrocystis and


Ecklonia.

Alginates are used in the preparation of flame-proof fibrics, plastics,


paints, gauze material in surgical dressing, soups, ice creams etc.

Agar-agar is a jelly like substance of great economic value.

It is obtained from certain red algae like Gelidium, Graciliaria,


and Gigartina.

Agar is used as a culture medium for growing callus in tissue


culture.

Solidifying Agent

Carragheen or Carragheenin:

Extracted from cell walls of red algae like Chondrus and


Gigartina.

Polysaccharide esterfied with sulphate.

Used as emulsifier in pharmaceutical industry and also in


textile, leather, cosmetics and brewing industries.

Diatomite

Diatoms deposits at marine and fresh water areas.


They are rich with silica.

Preparation of Dynamite in olden days.

Now it is used in different industries like glass, metal


polishing, paints, tooth pasts, soups, etc.

Antibiotics and Medicines

Chlorellin, obtained from Chlorella is


effective against a number of
pathogenic bacteria.

Extracts from Cladophora, Lyngbya


can kill pathogenic Pseudomonas
and Mycobacterium.

Laminaria is used as one of the


modern tools for abortion.

Role of Algae in Sewage Disposal

Some species like Chlamydomonas, Scenedesmus, Chlorella,


Pondorhina, Euridina, etc are living in sewage water.

Useful to clean the water by realizing Oxygen.

They also modified the carbonate material in the water into N, P,


K fertilizers.

Algae as research material

In biological research algae are useful because


of their rapid growth, brief life span and easy
mode of cultivation.

Chlorella, Scenedesmus and Anacystis are used

in investigations in photosynthesis.

Blue-green algae are used in studies on nitrogen


fixation. R

Researches in Genetics and Cytology are carried


out on Acetabularia.

Algae in Space

Chlorella and Synechococcus are finding application in


space ships and nuclear submarines as oxygen regenerating
and food and water recycling organisms.

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