spirogyra

Thân thiện

A student observes spirogyra under a microscope in biology class.

Definition

Noun: * A type of freshwater algae: Spirogyra is a genus of green algae found in freshwater habitats like ponds and slow-moving streams. It is characterized by its unbranched, filamentous structure, where each filament is a chain of cylindrical cells. The most distinctive feature is the presence of one or more spiral-shaped chloroplasts within each cell, which are responsible for photosynthesis.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Under the microscope, we observed the beautiful spiral chloroplasts of the spirogyra.
  • The pond surface was covered with a slimy, green mat of spirogyra.
  • Spirogyra is often used in biology classes to study plant cell structure.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Classification: In taxonomy, is the genus name. When referring to a specific species, the genus is italicized and followed by a species name (e.g., ).
  • The sample was identified as Spirogyra aff. crassa, indicating its close relation to that species.

Variants and Related Words

• Alga (singular) / Algae (plural) (n): The broader group of simple, non-flowering aquatic plants to which spirogyra belongs.
  • Seaweed is a type of marine alga, while spirogyra is a freshwater alga.
• Filamentous algae (n): A descriptive term for algae that grow in long, thread-like chains, such as spirogyra.
  • The clogged filter was full of filamentous algae.

Synonyms

• Pond scum (informal): A common, non-scientific term for a visible layer of algae, including spirogyra, on water.
  • Children often call the green layer on ponds pond scum.
• Green algae: The division (Chlorophyta) to which spirogyra belongs.
  • Spirogyra is a common representative of the green algae.

Học thuật

Noun

1. freshwater algae consisting of minute filaments containing spiral chlorophyll bands