What are the Chrysophyceae?
Q: What are the Chrysophyceae?
A: The Chrysophyceae are a large group of algae found mostly in freshwater.
Q: What is the common term for Prymnesium parvum?
A: Golden algae is the common term for Prymnesium parvum, which kills fish in large numbers.
Q: What is the main type of chrysophyte cell?
A: The main type of chrysophyte cell has two specialized flagella. The active, "feathered" flagellum points toward the moving direction, and the smooth passive flagellum points in the opposite direction.
Q: What is an important characteristic used to identify members of the Chrysophyceae?
A: An important characteristic used to identify members of the Chrysophyceae is the presence of a siliceous cyst that is formed internally.
Q: Are all members of the Chrysophyceae identical?
A: No, some members of the group are amoeboid (move like amoeba), and some are sessile.
Q: What is the main issue with classifying the Chrysophyceae?
A: Unfortunately, every expert who has studied this group has come up with a different classification.
Q: Did the ancestor of the Chrysophyceae do photosynthesis?
A: It seems that the ancestor of the Chrysophyceae did not do photosynthesis, but later on groups separately evolved their own methods of using sunlight.
