Spirogyra under microscope

Zygnematales Zygnematales The Zygnematales comprise 18 genera, with more than more than 600 species. Spirogyra and Zygnema are the best-known members of the order, and because of the beauty of these organisms when seen under a microscope, they are commonly used in biology classes as examples of the " Almost all species of Zygnematales live in freshwater environments, where they are important as primary producers. They are commonly called "pondscum", and make up the filamentous periphyton in ponds, growing on and around the larger aquatic plants. Mature zygnemataleans are filamentous and unbranched, growing as long chains of cells connected end-to-end. The filament grows when cells in the chain divide, developing into two new full-sized cells. Some species will produce rhizoids at one end of the filament to help anchor them to objects in the water. Each cell is encased in a cell wall composed of three layers, two cellulosic inner layers and and outer layer of mucus, which probably helps to keep the alga moist. Like all organisms called "algae", zygnemataleans have plastids which allow them to manufacture their own food. There is a great deal of variation in chloroplast morphology in the group. They are stellate in Zygnema, while in Spirogyra the chloroplasts are ribbonlike and are wound around the inside of the cell like a spiral, giving the genus its name. The photo at left shows this in Spirogyra submaxima. The "bumps" visisble along the chloroplast are pyrenoids used to ...

Spirogyra Filamentous Algae Though many refer to filamentous algae belonging to the genus Spirogyra as pond scum, the delicate green strands are sometimes known by more complimentary terms, such as water-silk or mermaid's tresses. The beauty of Spirogyra is most prominent under the microscope, where helices of emerald-hued chloroplasts can be seen spiraling the length of its tubular cells.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. The genus Spirogyra is abundant in freshwater habitats worldwide, and comprises approximately 380 species. Species assignment is often difficult because identification is based on the characteristics of sexual reproduction in wild-collected samples and spores produced in the field or laboratory culture. We developed an identification procedure based on an improved methodology for inducing sexual conjugation in laboratory-cultivated filaments. We tested the modified procedure on 52 newly established and genetically different strains collected from diverse localities in Japan. We induced conjugation or aplanospore formation under controlled laboratory conditions in 15 of the 52 strains, which allowed us to identify 13 species. Two of the thirteen species were assignable to a related but taxonomically uncertain genus, Temnogyra, based on the unique characteristics of sexual reproduction. Our phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the two Temnogyra species are included in a large clade comprising many species of Spirogyra. Thus, separation of Temnogyra from Spirogyra may be untenable, much as the separation of Sirogonium from Spirogyra is not suppo...

So, I am in a crucial situation, I have my science practicals scheduled for Monday and I barely know how to identify spirogyra under a microscope. If anybody could tell me the identifying features of spirogyra under a microscope, like how can I identify if the slide given to me is that of spirogyra. I would prefer expert advice! Thanks anyways.. :)) Usually, the stain used is safranin. Under low power, many small filaments are seen with a spirally arranged pink chloroplast inside them. Under high power, usually a sigle organism is seen with spirally arranged chloroplast inside. It has small organelles called pyrenoids. The nucleus is dark structure located towards the periphery. The cell has an outer as well as inner layer of cell wall. The outer cell wall runs continuously while the inner wall ends with the cell and starts again with the next cell. Each cell also has the plasma membrane. • This Site Might Help You. RE: How can I identify spirogyra under a microscope? So, I am in a crucial situation, I have my science practicals scheduled for Monday and I barely know how to identify spirogyra under a microscope. If anybody could tell me the identifying features of spirogyra under a microscope, like how can I identify if the slide given to me is that of… •

This article covers • • • • • • • • What are algae Algae (singular, alga) are a general term for a large and diverse group of eukaryotic organisms that are capable of photosynthesis. Algae include unicellular microalgae, such as the diatoms and Chlorella, and multicellular algae, such as seaweeds that may reach 60 m in length and form underwater kelp forests. Most algae live in the water, and they are primary producers on the earth. Unlike the land plants, they lack specialized cells and tissues, such as roots, leaves, stomata, and vascular bundles (xylem and phloem). Alga is an excellent example to learn about the diversity of living organisms in nature. You can collect different types of algae from a pool or lake. For instance, green algae are easy to find in a small pond or river, with filamentous forms like a brush of green hairs. Under the microscope, you can easily see how their cells arrange into the long fiber shape (like the spirogyra we are going to discuss below). I also discuss diatoms in a separate blog post. Diatoms are abundant on earth and very beautiful. [In this figure] A variety of microscopic unicellular and colonial freshwater algae under a microscope. Algae vary in shapes, sizes, and colors. Photo credit: Green algae – spirogyra Spirogyra (also known as pond silk) is a genus of filamentous charophyte green algae (family Zygnemataceae), generally found in freshwater, especially nutrient-rich lakes and streams. The name “Spirogyra” comes from “spiral,” ...