ALGAE

Algae are plantlike organisms that make food by photosynthesis. All algae contain chlorophyll, which is green, but many are colored brown or red by other pigments. Most algae live in water.

ARE ALGAE AND SEAWEED THE SAME THING?

All seaweeds are algae, but not all algae are seaweeds. Seaweeds are easily visible, made of many cells, and grow in the sea. There are red, brown, and green forms. Many algae, such as diatoms, are microscopic and consist of a single cell.

DO ALGAE LIVE ONLY IN WATER?

Most species of algae live in the sea, in lakes, or in ponds. Some single-celled green algae live in moist conditions on land, such as on tree trunks, on the surface of the soil, or on damp brickwork. Others live inside lichens.

ALGAE CLASSIFICATION

40,000 species of plantlike organisms.

Single-celled types:

Golden algae
Yellow-green algae
Diatoms
Dinoflagellates.

Multicellular types:

Brown seaweeds
Red seaweeds and green algae (both seaweeds and single-celled forms).

Copyright © 2007 Dorling Kindersley