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Microalgae
Microalgae or microphytes are microscopic algae invisible to
the naked eye. They are phytoplankton typically found in
freshwater and marine systems, living in both the water column
and sediment.[1] They are unicellular species which exist
individually, or in chains or groups. Depending on the species,
their sizes can range from a few micrometers (μm) to a few
hundred micrometers. Unlike higher plants, microalgae do not
have roots, stems, or leaves. They are specially adapted to an
environment dominated by viscous forces. Nannochloropsis microalgae

Microalgae, capable of performing photosynthesis, are important

for life on earth; they produce approximately half of the
atmospheric oxygen[2] and use simultaneously the greenhouse
gas carbon dioxide to grow photoautotrophically. "Marine
photosynthesis is dominated by microalgae, which together with
cyanobacteria, are collectively called phytoplankton."[3]
Microalgae, together with bacteria, form the base of the food web
and provide energy for all the trophic levels above them.
Microalgae biomass is often measured with chlorophyll a
concentrations and can provide a useful index of potential Collection of microalgae cultures in
production.[4] CSIRO's lab

The biodiversity of microalgae is enormous and they represent an

almost untapped resource. It has been estimated that about 200,000-800,000 species in many
different genera exist of which about 50,000 species are described.[5] Over 15,000 novel compounds
originating from algal biomass have been chemically determined.[6] Examples include carotenoids,
antioxidants, fatty acids, enzymes, polymers, peptides, toxins and sterols.[7]

An exception to the microalgae family is the colorless Prototheca which are devoid of any chlorophyll.
These achlorophic algae switch to parasitism and thus cause the disease Protothecosis in human and
animals.

Contents
Characteristics and uses
Photo- and chemosynthetic algae
Cultivation of microalgae
See also
References
External links

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Characteristics and uses

The chemical composition of microalgae is not an intrinsic
constant factor but varies over a wide range of factors, both
depending on species and on cultivation conditions. Some
microalgae have the capacity to acclimate to changes in
environmental conditions by altering their chemical composition
in response to environmental variability. A particularly dramatic
example is their ability to replace phospholipids with non-
phosphorus membrane lipids in phosphorus-depleted
[8]
environments. It is possible to accumulate the desired products
in microalgae to a large extent by changing environmental
factors, like temperature, illumination, pH, CO2 supply, salt and
nutrients.
A variety of unicellular and colonial
Microphytes also produce chemical signals which contribute to freshwater microalgae
prey selection, defense, and avoidance. These chemical signals
affect large scale tropic structures such as algal blooms but
propagate by simple diffusion and laminar advective flow.[9][10] Microalgae such as microphytes
constitute the basic foodstuff for numerous aquaculture species, especially filtering bivalves.

Photo- and chemosynthetic algae

Photosynthetic and chemosynthetic microbes can also form symbiotic relationships with host
organisms. They provide them with vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, necessary for the
growth of the bivalves which are unable to synthesize it themselves.[11] In addition, because the cells
grow in aqueous suspension, they have more efficient access to water, CO2, and other nutrients.

Microalgae play a major role in nutrient cycling and fixing inorganic carbon into organic molecules
and expressing oxygen in marine biosphere.

While fish oil has become famous for its omega-3 fatty acid content, fish don't actually produce
omega-3s, instead accumulating their omega-3 reserves by consuming microalgae. These omega-3
fatty acids can be obtained in the human diet directly from the microalgae that produce them.

Microalgae can accumulate considerable amounts of proteins depending on species and cultivation
conditions. Due to their ability to grow on non-arable land microalgae may provide an alternative
protein source for human consumption or animal feed.[12] Microalgae proteins are also investigated
as thickening agents[13] or emulsion and foam stabilizers[14] in the food industry to replace animal
based proteins.

Some microalgae accumulate chromophores like chlorophyll, carotenoids, or phycobiliproteins that

may be extracted and used as coloring agents.[15]

Cultivation of microalgae
A range of microalgae species are produced in hatcheries and are used in a variety of ways for
commercial purposes, including for human nutrition,[16] as biofuel,[17] in the aquaculture of other
organisms,[18] in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics,[19] and as biofertiliser.[20]
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However, the low cell density is a major bottleneck in commercial viability of many microalgae
derived products, especially low cost commodities.[21]

Studies have estimated the main factors in the success of a microalgae hatchery system to be:

the dimensions of the container/bioreactor where microalgae is cultured;

exposure to light/irradiation; and
concentration of cells within the reactor.[22]

See also
AlgaeBase
Algaculture
Algae fuel
Biological pump
Cyanobacteria
Iron fertilization
Microbiofuels
Ocean acidification
Photobioreactor
Phytoplankton (planktonic algae)

References
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p://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/microscopic-algae-produce-half-the-oxyg
en-we-breathe/5041338). The Science Show. ABC. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
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Microalgae". Annual Review of Genetics. 42: 619–645.
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External links
NOAA, DMS and Climate (https://web.archive.org/web/20150214081038/http://saga.pmel.noaa.go
v/review/dms_climate.html)
Microalgae concentrates (http://easyalgae.com/pastesconcent_ing.asp)
Microalgae research (http://www.algae.wur.nl/uk/)
"From Micro-Algae to Blue Oil (https://web.archive.org/web/20160417030653/http://www.paristech
review.com/2011/12/01/micro-algae-blue-oil/)", ParisTech Review, Dec. 2011

Company

Microphyt - Microalgae Production and Photobioreactor Design (http://www.microphyt.eu/en/)

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