Phaeophyta (Brown Algae)

PHAEOPHYTA (BROWN ALGAE)
 Phaeophyta Classification
Eukaryota (Presence of membrane-bound
Domain
cell organelles.)
Protista – Simple organisms, usually

Kingdom
microscopic, seaweed are exceptions.
Heterokontophyta – Algae with chlorophyll

Phylum
a and c.
Phaeophyceae – Brown algae having
Class
pigment fucoxanthin.
Fucales, Laminarales, Dictyotales,
Order
Ectocarpales
Family Fucaceae
Genus Fucus
Species distichus, serratus, spiralis, vesiculosus
PHAEOPHYTA (BROWN ALGAE)
Diversity Genera 260 - Species = 2000
Occurrence
 They are almost entirely Marine.
 Four species are found in Fresh Water
 They are most abundant in Colder Waters.
 There are Few Large Species in Tropical Waters.
 It is abundant in Tropical waters and has part of the Atlantic Ocean
named after it (Sargasso Sea).
 Their abundance is partly due to their floats which allow them to drift
on the surface in ocean currents.
 Some species are epiphytes and endophytes
VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE OR PLANT BODY
 They have different type of plant bodies
 Ranges from simple filamentous to microscopic kelps
 Filaments forms may be erect or prostrate
 They may be hetrotrichous (both erect and prostate branches)
 The kelps may be 25 -30 meters long
 The tissues of kelps are differentiated into outer cortex and inner
medulla
 Plant body has three parts
 Hold fast: root like structure.it anchors the plant
 Stipes': these are stem like branches
 Blades: leave like structure. Present at the apex of stipe
CELL WALL
 Cell wall has two portions

 Inner portion is composed of cellulose
 Outer portion is gelatinous
 It is formed of algin
 Algin is pectin substance of calcium salts of alginic and fucinic
acids
 Alginic Acid and Fuccoidan are the most familiar. Algininc Acid
can represent as much as 40% of the Biomass.
CELL STRUCTURE
 Phaeophyta are the most complex forms of algae

 The cell is uninucleate
 It has large vacuole
 Centrosomes is present in them
 Therefore nuclei divide by animal like mitosis
 Kelps are the only algae with a significant internal tissue differentiation.
 Though true conductive tissues like xylem and phloem are absent, kelps
show some sort of conductive tissues.
PIGMENTS
 photosynthetic pigment are chlorophyll a,c carotenoids and

xanthophyll's in the form of fucoxanthin and diatoxanthin
 Fucoxanthin is a golden brown pigment
 It makes the color of chlorophyll
 Pigments are present in chloroplast
 Pyrenoids are absent
RESERVE FOOD MATERIAL
 Their reserve food material is in the form of dissolved

sugars, alcohols, fats and complex polysaccharides
 Starch is absent in them
 Some other reserve products are laminarin
 (a polysaccharide),mannitols and alcohol
 Fat like colorless fucosan granule or physole compounds
are also found in them
VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
 Vegetative reproduction is common in phaeophyta

 Plant body splits to form one or more part
 These parts are still attached with the substratum
 These parts detach one by one
 They float in water and develop into new plant
 In some cases, propagules are also produced
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
 Asexual reproduction occurs by zoospores formation
 Zoospores are biflagellate
 Zoospores are produced in unilocular plurilocular sporangia
 Unilocular sporangia: unilocular sporangia are produced in diploid
sporophyte generation. 32,64 or 128
 Haploid zoospores are produces in each sporangium. First division is
meiosis. Zoospores germinate to form gametophyte.
 Plurilocular sporangia: these are multicellular
 These are developed on haploid gametophyte plant
 These are Also produced on sporophytes
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
 These sporangia produce diploid
zoospores
 These spores develop sporophytes
 The zoospores of gametophyte
also act as gametes.

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
 Sexual reproduction may be isogamous, anisogamous or oogamous
 The gametophyte may be homothallic or heterothallic
 In case of oogamous type, single motile antherozoids are produced
in gametangia or antheridia
 Oogonium has single egg
 In some cases, eggs are not discharged and fertilization occurs in
oogonia
ALTERNATION OF GENERATION
 Regular alternation of generation occurs in pheophytes.
 Diploid sporophyte generation alternates with haploid gametophyte
generation
 The two generations may be
 isomorphic e.g., Ectocarpus or
 heteromorphic e.g., Laminaria.
TYPE : LAMINARIA
Occurrence
 Laminaria is found along coasts of oceans. Most of the species are perennial
Vegetative structure
Plant body
 The plant body is sporophyte. The sporophyte is differentiated into three parts:
holdfast, stipe and blade. The holdfast is a system of forked root like branches
(hapetra).
 The stipe is always unbranched it may be cylindrical or flattened. Single blade is
present at the terminating apex of stipes. It is divided into number of segments.
Growth of the sporophyte occurs due to intercalary meristem. It is present at the
juncture of stipe and blade.
 Meristematic activity increases the length of stipe continuously. But the length of
mature blades remains constant. Blades of most species persist for cne year. They
stop growing late in the summer and begin to disintegrate after the plant discharge its
zoospores in the autumn.
VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE
Internal structure
The transverse section of laminaria shows three regions. These are:
(a) Epidermis: Epidermis is composed of one or two layers of small cubical cells.
These cells contain many chromatophores.
(b) Cortex: It is composed of elongated cells. These cells show variations in their
sizes. The cells formed earlier in the growing seasons are larger. Those formed at
the end of the season are smaller. The cortex of many species contains
mucilaginous ducts.
(c) Pith or medulla: It consists of compact vertical unbranched filaments (hyphae).

These filaments lie close to each other in young stipe. But they lie apart in mature
stipe. There are two type of filaments:
VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE
 Connecting filaments: Certain cells filaments divide diagonally. It forms
initial cells of the connecting filaments. Connecting filaments run across
the medulla.
 Trumpet filaments: Some filaments show little divisions.
REPRODUCTION
 Asexual reproduction in sporophyte
 Asexual reproduction takes place by zoospore formation.
Zoospores are produced in cup shaped unilocular
sporangia. Many sporangia form sori.
 They are formed in summer or autumn. Hair like cells
paraphyses is present between sporangia.
 Sporangia and paraphyses are epidermal in origin.
REPRODUCTION
 Formation of zoospores:
 The nucleus of sporangium divides meiotically during zoospore
formation. Then many mitotic divisions occur. Thus 32-64 nuclei are
formed.
 Each nucleus is surrounded by proplast and it finally changed into
biflagellate zoospore. The sporangial wall breaks and release
zoospores.
 They swim for some time. They round up and secrete a wall. Thus
embryo spore is formed. It develops germ tube. Nucleus and
chromatophom moves into the apex germ tube.
 A transverse septa cut off the apical cell. The apical cell develops into a
very small filamentous gametophyte.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN GAMETOPHYTES
Sexual reproduction is oogamous. Laminaria is a dioecious plant.
Antheridia are developed on male gametophyte and oogonia are developed
on female gametophyte.
Antheridia:
 Male gametophyte develops one or two celled literal branches. Antheridia
develop on the tip of these branches. Antheridium is single celled. It is
changed into single antherozoid. Antherozoid has lateral flagella.
Oogonia: Oogonium is produced on small two or three celled female

gametophyte. Oogonia may be terminal or intercalary. An oogonium is longer
and thicker than other cells. Its protoplast changes into egg. The mature egg
remained attached to the apex of oogonial wall.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN GAMETOPHYTES
Fertilization:
The antherozoid swims and unites with egg Fusion takes place and zygote is formed
Sprophyte: It is diploid generation. Its body has three parts: hold fast, stipe and
blade. It develops sporangia. The sporangia develop spores by meiosis. Thus
haploid zoospores are produced. Zoospores germinate to form male and female
gametophytes.
Gametophyte: Gametophyte is haploid filamentous and microscopic. Antheridia are

produced on male gametophyte. It produces haploid antherozoid. Oogonia develop
on female plant. It produces egg. Fusion of antherozoid and egg produce diploid
zygote. The zygote develops into diploid sporophyte.
Germination of oospore
 Oospore germinates to form a short filament it is separated
from the oogonium
 Rhizoids are formed from the lower side
 The filament is then developed into sporophyte
Laminaria

Phaeophyta (Brown Algae)

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PHAEOPHYTA (BROWN ALGAE)

Protista – Simple organisms, usually

Heterokontophyta – Algae with chlorophyll

 Cell wall has two portions

 Phaeophyta are the most complex forms of algae

 photosynthetic pigment are chlorophyll a,c carotenoids and

 Their reserve food material is in the form of dissolved

 Vegetative reproduction is common in phaeophyta

 These sporangia produce diploid

 These spores develop sporophytes

 The zoospores of gametophyte

also act as gametes.

(c) Pith or medulla: It consists of compact vertical unbranched filaments (hyphae).

Oogonia: Oogonium is produced on small two or three celled female

Gametophyte: Gametophyte is haploid filamentous and microscopic. Antheridia are

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