Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026

11:08
Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids
Published on: January 7, 2019
22.8K
Nutrient Acquisition: The Generation of Bioactive Vitamin B12 by Microalgae
1Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|April 27, 2016
Abstract:
Many microalgae acquire vitamin B12 from marine prokaryotes. A new study demonstrates that vitamin B12 is synthesized by planktonic cyanobacteria as pseudocobalamin, a form not bioactive in microalgae. However, some microalgae can remodel pseudocobalamin to the active cobalamin form, adding complexity to our assessment of active vitamin B12 in the environment.
Related Concept Videos
Biofuels
34
The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...
34
Green Algae
1.0K
Green algae, also referred to as chlorophytes, are different from red algae in having the chloroplasts containing chlorophylls a and b, which give them their distinct green hue. However, they lack phycobiliproteins, preventing them from developing the red or blue-green pigmentation seen in red algae. In terms of photosynthetic pigment composition, green algae closely resemble plants and share a close evolutionary relationship with them. Taxonomically Green algae belong to Phylum Chlorophyta in...
1.0K
Microbial Nutrition
1.8K
Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
1.8K
Overview of Algae
1.4K
The kingdom Archaeplastida encompasses red and green algae, along with land plants. Unlike other protists with chloroplasts that arose through secondary endosymbiosis, only red and green algae originated from primary endosymbiotic events. This diverse group of eukaryotic organisms contains chlorophyll and performs oxygenic photosynthesis.Algae exist in various forms, from large brown kelp in coastal waters to green scum in puddles and stains on rocks or soil. Some species are responsible for...
1.4K
Red Algae
1.8K
Red algae, also known as rhodophytes, are primarily found in marine environments, though some species inhabit freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. These organisms exist in both unicellular and multicellular forms, with some multicellular varieties reaching macroscopic sizes.As phototrophic organisms, red algae contain chlorophyll a; however, their chloroplasts lack chlorophyll b. Instead, they possess phycobiliproteins, which serve as major light-harvesting pigments, similar to those found in...
1.8K
Other Algae
575
The group Stramenopiles include some phototrophic microorganisms. Members of this group possess flagella covered in numerous short, hairlike extensions, a feature that inspired the group's name, derived from the Latin words for "straw" and "hair." Some of the main categories of Stramenopiles include diatoms, golden algae, and brown algae.Diatoms are unicellular, photosynthetic eukaryotes, with over 200 known genera. They play a key role in the planktonic communities of both marine and...
575

