Spirogyra
Common Names:
• water silk
• mermaid's tresses
• blanket weed
• Ponds Scum
• Water Scum
Species Diversity:
• 400 species are known so far
• Spirogyra adnata, S. abbreviata, S. mutabilis, S. oblonga, S. princeps, S. regularis, S. dimorpha, S. elegans
Habitat:
• Spirogyra is a cosmopolitan, freshwater, filamentous green alga.
• Most of them are green floating in stagnant ponds and pools, a few species are attached and some occur in running
water (S. adnata).
• In spring Spirogyra grows under water, but when there is enough sunlight and warmth, they produce large amounts
of oxygen, adhering as bubbles between the tangled filaments.
Size:
• Spirogyra measures approximately 10 to 100 μm in width and may grow to several centimeters in length.
Cell Structure:
• Each un-branched filament of Spirogyra consists of a number of elongated cylindrical cells of similar type joined
end to end.
• The terminal cell is dome-shaped.
• In attached species, the lower non-green cell is called holdfast or hapteron (with irregular lobes, e.g., S. fluviatilis).
• Except holdfast, all the cells of filament can divide and elongate to increase the length of Spirogyra filament.
• Each cell of Spirogyra filament is cylindrical and consists of 2 parts: cell wall and protoplast.
The cell wall surrounds the protoplast, is protective and consists of two layers i.e. inner cellulose layer and outer pectose
layer.
o The pectose layer dissolves in water to form a slimy mucilage sheath covering the whole filament.
• The transverse wall (cross wall) between adjacent cells has middle lamella (septum).
The protoplast is differentiated into many parts, from outside to inside; they are;
• plasma membrane
• primordial utricle (=peripheral cytoplasm)
• large central vacuole
• a nucleus.
➢ The primordial utricle:
o It contains 1-16 spirally arranged ribbon-shaped chloroplasts along with various organelles.
o The margin of chloroplast may be smooth or serrated.
o In the chloroplast, a row of pyrenoids present at regular intervals.
o Each paranoid consists of a central protein core surrounded by a starch sheath.
➢ A single nucleus:
o present at the central cytoplasmic mass that held in the center of vacuole.
o The nucleus held in position by radiating the cytoplasmic strands traverse through the vacuole to reach the
primordial utricle.
LIFE CYCLE/REPRODUCTION OF SPIROGYRA:
• Vegetative Reproduction: (Fragmentation. Akinetes formation)
• Asexual Reproduction: (Aplanospores & Azygopsores formation)
• Sexual Reproduction: (Conjugation)
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION:
• In Spirogyra, the sexual reproduction involves a cycle alternation between a haploid vegetative filament
(gametophyte plant) and a diploid zygospore, towards the end of growing season the Spirogyra filament produce
aplanogametes in vegetative cells called gametangia.
• The gametes fuse to form a zygospore (2n).
• At the time of germination, the zygopsore nucleus undergoes meiosis to produce 4 haploid nuclei but only one of
them survives. Thus, a zygospore gives rise to a haploid new filament.
• Therefore, in the haplontic life cycle of Spirogyra no true alternation of distinct plants observed.
• Rather, alternation of chromosome numbers from haploid to diploid and back to haploid conditions can be noticed.
CONJUGATION:
• Sexual reproduction of Spirogyra involves conjugation, which may be defined as a primitive type of isogamy called
aplanogametic isogamy.
• In this type of isogamy, the entire protoplasmic contents of vegetative cells (viz., Gametangia) function as gametes.
• It always involves the gametangial contact.
TYPES OF CONJUGATION:
Conjugation is of two type—Scalariform and Lateral conjugation.
(i) Scalariform conjugation:
• It is most common method in most heterothallic species of Spirogyra.
• It takes place in the night when two filaments come close and lie opposite and parallel to each other.
• Now, opposite cells develop outgrowths or protuberances called conjugation processes.
• At the point of contact, the tips of these processes dissolve to form conjugation tube between opposite cells.
• This resembles ladder. Hence, the conjugation is called scalariform (Gr. scala = ladder; forma = shape) or H-shape
conjugation.
• When the conjugation tube is forming, the protoplasts of conjugating cells (gametangia) recede, round up and
function as gametes.
• The male gametes transfer through the conjugation tube into the opposite cell (female gametangia) and fuse with
female gamete to form zygote (2n).
• The zygote secretes a thick wall to become zygospore.
• Therefore, in the late stage of conjugation, male gametangia remain empty and the female gametangia contain
zygospores (2n) (Fig. 5.7).
(ii) Lateral conjugation:
It is of rare occurrence and involves the fusion of gametes from two adjacent cells of the same filament in monoecious or
homothallic species. It is of two types: Indirect and Direct Lateral conjugation.
(a) Indirect lateral conjugation:
• Two outgrowths emerge on both side of a transverse septum of two adjunct cells and after some growth the two
protuberances unite to form a conjugation tube.
• Of the two adjacent cells, one behaves as male gametangium whiles the other as female gametangium.
• The content (now behaving as gamete) from male gametangium passes through conjugation tube and enters into
female gametangium.
• By the fusion of male and female gametes a diploid zygospore is formed. Thus, in each second cell of a filament, a
zygospore is formed, e.g., S. tenuissima, S. affinis (Fig. 5.8).
(b) Direct lateral conjugation:
• In this type of conjugation, the male gametangium after passing through an aperture in the transverse septum of
adjoining gametangium enters the female gametangium and fuses with the female gamete, and a diploid zygospore
is formed, e.g., S. jogensis (fig. 5.8).
ZYGOSPORE FORMATION AND GERMINATION
• Zygospore is the only diploid phase in the sexual life cycle.
• The decay of female gametangia causes the liberation of zygospore which remains dormant in the pond bottom till
the favorable conditions return. Zygospore wall is thick and differentiated in to 3-layers.
• Outer exosporium (cellulose), middle mesosporium (cellulose & chitin) and inner endosporium (cellulose).
• On return of favorable condition, the diploid nucleus of zygospore undergo meiosis to produce 4 haploid nuclei out
of which 3 degenerate.
• The zygospore with one haploid nucleus gradually enlarges and burst open to release a germ tube. The repeated
transverse divisions of germ tube form a new filament.
