Chlorophyta

Chlorophyta are a division of green algae.^[1]

It includes about 7,000 species of mostly aquatic photosynthetic eukaryote organisms.^[2][3]

Like the land plants, green algae contain chlorophylls a and b, and store food as starch^[2] in their plastids. Most species are flagellate in at least one stage of their life cycle.

They are related to the Charophyceae (also called Charophyta) and land plants, together making up the Viridiplantae.

The division contains both unicellular and multicellular species. While most species live in freshwater habitats and a large number in marine habitats, other species are adapted to a wide range of environments. Watermelon snow, or Chlamydomonas nivalis, lives on summer alpine snowfields. Others live attached to rocks or woody parts of trees. Some lichens are symbiotic relationships between fungi and green algae.

Members of the Chlorophyta also form symbiotic relationships with protozoa, sponges and cnidarians. Some conduct sexual reproduction.

1. ↑ Guiry M.D. & Guiry G.M. (2007). "Phylum: Chlorophyta taxonomy browser". AlgaeBase version 4.2 World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Hoek, C. van den, Mann, D.G. and Jahns, H.M. 1995. Algae An Introduction to Phycology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-30419-9
3. ↑ "Major Algae Phyla - Table - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2011-01-04.