GREEN PLANT

DIVERSITY
WEEK4
ALGAE LECTURE OBJECTIVES
• What are algae?
• Understanding algal diversity (body forms, pigments, life cycle habitat,
reproduction (syngamy)
• Name and describe the various algal body forms
• Explain the evolution of algal body forms –
• Identify three categories of plant body plans – unicellular, colonial and
multicellular
• Describe aquatic niche habitats
• Adaptation of algae to aquatic habitats
• Characteristics of the Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta
Algal Body forms - Unicellular
• Unicellular motile cells do not adhere following karyokinesis and
cytokinesis)
• It is possible that all algal body forms evolved from this unicellular
organism

Clamydomonas sp.
Ref: Tutorial article - Plant body plans
 Algal body forms - colonial
• Motile colonies –
• Unicellular organisms adhere together in a matrix
• all cells in the
• colony are
• flagellate
- cells do not adhere by middle lamella after karyokinesis and cytokinesis
(binary fission).

Volvox sp.
Algal body forms - Colonial
• Non-motile colonies
• cells held together in a gelatinous matrix
• cells lose flagella
• or never develop them.
Body forms – Filamentous –
(multicellular)
• filament - cells joined together end to end
• held by middle lamella (karyokinesis + cytokinesis)
• all cells divide transversely (regular division in one plane)

Spirogyra -Filamentous
green
Body forms – filamentous
(multicellular)
• Branched filament
cells divide (karyokinesis + cytokinesis) transversely (x plane)and
occasionally longitudinally (y plane)
• portions of the body differ
• eg.holdfast for anchorage
• sporangia
• gametangia

Cladophora sp
Body forms-membraneous –
(multicellular)
• Membranous sheet –
• orientation of cell division controlled precisely - x and y planes
• cell division (karyokinesis and cytokinesis)occurs regularly in two
planes
• A sheet is formed

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/webb/
Body forms - Differentiated thallus
(multicellular)
• cell division (karyokinesis and cytokinesis)occurs regularly in all three
planes
• Orientation of Division –x, y, and z planes
• a bulky, three - dimensional parenchymatous body is formed

http://courses.bio.psu.edu/
Body Forms
• Portions of the body differentiate;
• holdfast – anchor the thallus
• vesicles keep thallus buoyant
• and reproductive structures are formed
BODY FORMS- Coenocytic
(Unicellular)
• Coenocytic or siphonous body
• karyokinesis (nuclear division)occurs without cytokinesis (cytoplasmic
division) and giant multinucleated cells are formed
• cell may enlarge to form
• Bulbous structures
BODY FORMS- Coenocytic
or tubular structures

Caulerpa sp.
PLANT BODY PLANS
• All three body plan categories can be found in the algae- Unicellular,
colonial multicellular

• Land plants all have one body plan - multicellular

Life cycles and reproduction in plants-
Objectives
• Why study life cycles and reproduction
• Definition of life cycle, types of life cycles
• Definition of alternation of generation
• Alternation of generation pattern
• Structures in the life cycle
• Processes in the life cycle
Why study life cycles and reproduction

The main factor which results in diversity among

plant groups involves adaptations to the physical
conditions of the land environment

The reproductive structures and reproductive

cycles and life cycles of plants are adapted to land
conditions

Therefore an understanding, working knowledge

or application of the knowledge of life cycles and
reproduction is integral to the study of plant
diversity
Life cycle types
• Sporic meiosis or Alternation of generation (AoG) – 2 generations (adults)
• 2n generation alternating with a (n) generation
• 2n (sporophyte plant)alternating with a (n) (gametophyte plant )
• any one can be dominant in the life cycle
• they can look morphologically alike
• they can be look morphologically different
• Gametic meiosis – only one 2n generation (plant) present in the life cycle
• Zygotic meiosis – only one n generation (plant) present in the life cycle
Fern life cycle

sporophyte

gametophyte
Alternation of generation
• Life cycle Definition

• Sequence of developmental stages from birth to death

• Zygote formation to gamete production
Alternation of generation
(Definition)
• Two adult plants or generations alternating in the life cycle
• A sporophyte and a gametophyte plant alternating in the life cycle
• Type of life cycle
• One of the plants usually dominant
• Larger
• Stay around longer than the other
Alternation of generation
• How are life cycles represented?
• Often drawn in a circle
• Can also be linear (vertical or horizontal)
• Follows a general pattern
• Easy to interpret
• Easy to create
Alternation of generation
(pattern)
• Processes such as
• FERTILISATION, MEIOSIS AND MITOSIS

• alternate with structures such as

GAMETOPHYTES (n),
SPOROPHYTES (2n), ZYGOTES (2n), GAMETES (n), SPORES (n).
Alternation of generation
(pattern)
• Alternation of generation cycle-pattern

meiosis --> spores (n)) --- > gametophyte (adult) --- > gametangia
-->mitosis--> gametes (n) -- >fertilization -- > zygote (2n ) -- >
sporophyte (adult) -- > sporangia -- > meiosis.
Alternation of generation
Alternation of generation
(events or processes)

• FERTILISATION
fusion of male and female gametes (syngamy)
 MEIOSIS MITOSIS

2n 2n

DNA REPLICATION DNA

REPLICATION

2n HOMOLOGOUS
CHROMOSOMES 2n
SEPARATE CHROMATIDS
SEPARATE

n n
2n 2n
CHROMOTIDS
SEPARATE
DAUGHTER CELLS
n n n n
Alternation of generation
(events or processes)
• MITOSIS
• 2 daughter cells (offspring)
• Genetically identical to each other and parent
• Having same # of chromosomes as each other and as parents
Alternation of generation
(events or processes)
• MEIOSIS
• 4 daughter cells (offspring)
• offspring genetically different to each other and parent
• Offspring has half the # of chromosomes as parents
Alternation of generation
(structures)
• GAMETOPHYTES (n) –gamete producing plants
• SPOROPHYTES (2n) –spore producing plants
• ZYGOTES (2n) – product of fertilization
• GAMETES (n) –egg or ovum, male sperm
• SPORES (n) - unicellular dispersal unit