Match each product to the alga it comes from and its class…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Match each product to the alga it comes from and its class.
- Agar, used to grow bacteria on a plate.
- Algin, used to thicken ice creams.
- A sheet of dried seaweed eaten with rice.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Chlorophyceae: chlorophyll a and b, starch in pyrenoids, cellulose wall, 2 to 8 equal flagella at the tip. Phaeophyceae: chlorophyll a and c with fucoxanthin, laminarin or mannitol, algin, 2 unequal lateral flagella. Rhodophyceae: chlorophyll a and d with r-phycoerythrin, floridean starch, no flagella, oogamous. Red light is absorbed near the surface; blue-green light goes deeper.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Agar. From Gelidium and Gracilaria: Rhodophyceae.
Step 2. Algin. From the cell walls of brown algae such as Laminaria: Phaeophyceae.
Step 3. The sheet. Porphyra, a red alga: Rhodophyceae.
Answer: (a) Gelidium or Gracilaria, red; (b) brown algae such as Laminaria; (c) Porphyra, red.
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