CYANOBACTERIA The name Cyanophyta (Gr_kvanos= adopted for ins division. The division” wa phyta (Cc on=a plant) previously. It includes a singh Be a=slime + prvracteristics Possessed by the members of this divigen emer yeeae Most othe the bacteria, therefore these are placed alongwith pastes M2" (© those present in However, these are considered nearer to algae because vi ieration of On similar to other algal groups. They are commonly ence vecause of dominant blue photosynthetic pigment in their chromatare ce blue + phyta= IF S named Myxopnyte) ts fecently been GENERAL CHARECTERS OF CYANOPHYTA Habitat 1, The members of this class are commonly known as blue green algae 2. They are found in fresh water, ponds, ditches, drains and moist soils 3 The terrestrial species form layers on moist, shaded bare soils or rocks. 4 A few species are endophytes, i. e., live in the cavities of other plants, usually bryophytes, for example Nostoc is found in the thallus of Anthoceros and Anabaena in the roots of certain cycads. 5. They are algal partners of lichens. Many grow in waters of hot springs and form rock-like strata, 6 Only few forms are marine 7. They are also found in hot water streams. Cell structure 1 Only few forms are unicellular, while majority of them are multicellular and some are members forms colonies. The cells are embedded in gelatinous sheath 2A single row of cell in each colony is called as trichome and trichome with mucilage form the filament 4 Plastids are absent The pigments are found in he cytoplasm called as chromatoplasm. ‘Cells are biue in color due to the presence of phycocyanine (a blue pigment) 5 Chlorophyll, carotene and phycoerytherin. Hi The cells are without any mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi bodies. A definite nucleus is absent and nuclear material is present as central body, Which lacks nucleus, 51Reserve food material 1 Reserve food is in the form of sugars and glycogens. Minute oil drops are ajgy present 2 A proteneious material cyanophycin is also found as reserve food material 3 Some members such as Anabaena can fix nitrogen into nitrates. Reproduction 1 Hormogones: Small parts of filament detached either by direct breaking of py the formation of special disk called as hormogones. 2 Heterocyst: Special large cells with thick walls called as heterocyst is present jn the filament. The filament is detached at this point 3 Hormospores: These are apical portion of the trichome in which the cells become enlarged and thick walled. On separation these hormospores produce new filaments 4 Akinetes: When the vegetative cell along with the original cell wall js transformed into a spore. 5 Endospores: when the vegetative cell give rise to several spores after the division of protoplast. 6 Motile reproductive bodies are entirely absent. There is no sexual reproduction present in the members of cyanophyta 7 Sexual reproduction is entirely absent in this class. Exampies Anabaena, Nostoc, Oscillatoria etc. Economic Importance of Blue-green Algae The most important economic aspects of blue-green algae is their role in nitrogen fixation and soil building Role in Nitrogen Fixation Generally algae utilize nitrates, ammonium salts and organic nitrogen as mait source of nitrogen. Some species utilize ammonium ions and others nitrites. Howevel. the members of Cyanophyta are capable of absorbing and fixing atmospheric nitrogen This is called nitrogen fixation. The nitrogen is incorporated into the metabolic pathways as ammonia which is utilized in the synthesis of amino acids and proteins. The majority © the blue-green algae capable of fixing nitrogen have heterocysts in their filaments "0 belong to Chroococcales, Nostacales and Stigonematales. A few non-heterocyst speces like Oscillatoria princeps, Chlorogioea fristchil been reported to fix atmospheric nitrogen, BS, 2 a eal , Role in Soil Building The members of Cyanophyceae play an important role in preventing erosion reclamation of saline soils, and improving aeration of the soil. Therefore, these play important role in soil building ; i Some members of blue-green algae such as Chroococcus, Phormidium, @t% form thick mats on soil surface, therefore act as soil binding agents. They preve"" _ee erosion especially in disturbed o r penile I burnt soils. These also increase water The members of Cyanophyceae, e ' g., Nostoc, Scytonema nick sl a thick stratum on the surface of saline soil during rainy isssae The a reduce the pH of saline soils and increase water holding capacity of s ES sos, r the rice fields are inoculated with Nostoc and Anab: sm eeu fs romoting the yield of rice crop. The protein c ots of ha oie promnghe or ed ‘ontents of the plants growing in Cyanobacteria 53 amtul Aspects of Blue-groon Algae in addition to beneficial roles, the blue-g well These include: Death to Fishes: Microcystis aeruginosa found in fish ponds rs Ig produce a toxic Pempound poisonous to fish. Similarly blooming species cau fehes by choking their gills ere i, Death to Animals: few blue-greens such as Microcystis, Anabaena, Nodularia Dewlotrichia spp produce toxins causing deaths to animals like horses, cattle sheep, etc. Water Pollution:Biue-green algae especially Oscilatoria, Anabaena Microcystis pp grow immensely in storage water and pollute it Their decomposition produce Sted odour and cause interference in water fitration NS produce certain harmful roles as Affinities of Cyanophyceae ‘the members of Cyanophyceae are more near the bacteria than algae. The resemble bacteria in their prokaryotic cell structure, physiology and reproduction. Vilhelm paved blue-green algae in @ group ‘Archaeophyta alongwith bacteria. Fott classified blue- green algae in Prokaryonta (prokaryotes) ‘Chadefausd (1960) recognized two groups grong prokaryotes: the Cyanoschizophyta (blue-greeh algae) and Bacertioschizophyta linked together by transitional forms itecteri), He suggested that these two groups are hd blue-green algae are more primitive to bacteria, But, since the word algae is used for yevaseular green cryptogams, therefore the blue-green algae 's included in algae. They erat seme common characters with algae especially Rhodophyceae. Affinities with Bacteria The blue-green algae exhibits followin: i The presence of mucilaginous sheath around t ii The construction and chemical nature of cell ws ii, Both lack well organized nucleus and plastids. The nuclear matef centre of the cell or distributed throughout the cell cytoplasm iv The members of both bacteria and blue-green algae are capable of nitrogen g characteristics common with bacteria ihe cells. all is almost similar in both groups rial occupies fixation \ The reproduction is by fission or resting cells (akinetes), The true sexual reproduction is absent in both groups, however parasexual ported in blue-green algae noe of specific pigments, ‘hlorophyils in bacteria vi Prenstney such as transduction are rej The members of bath groups ate characterized by pres! Vi ‘ample phycobilins in blue-green alg@e and bacterioct Both are pioneers to colonize lifeless regions of volcanic origins.54 Caravan's Textbook of Botany ~ Paper A Affinities with Red Algae in However, the red algae differ from blue-green al i ii iti iv, Blue-green algae exhibit the following common char. The principal constituents of mucilaginous, sheath: glucose and xylose in both cases. The presence of dominant phycobilin pigments (phycocyanin and in the members of both the groups The reserve food in blue-green algae (Cyanophycean starch) rege starch found in red algae ‘acters With rag algae IS are galactose, Uronic 9 photosynthetic Pigments occur sin separated in both groups. The members of both groups are characterized by absence of me tile cells, \gae in that: They possess true nuclei The presence of cellulose and carbohydrates in cell walls. The presence of true Sexual reproduction, The presence of eukaryotic organelle like mitochondria, Golgi complex endoplasmic reticulum, etc.