Make a list of algae and fungi that have commercial value as source of food,
chemicals, medicines and fodder.
A. Economic importance of Algae:
1. Many species of Porphyra, Laminaria and Sargassum are among the 70 species of marine, algae used as food. Chlorella and Spirullina are unicellular algae, rich in proteins and are used as food supplements even by space travellers.
2. Certain marine brown and red algae produce large amounts of hydrocolloids (water holding substances) or phycocolloids, e.g.: algin (brown algae) and carrageen (red algae) are used commercially. Agar, one of the commercial products obtained from Gelidium and Gracilaria are used to grow microbes and in preparations of ice-creams and jellies.
3. Bromine is obtained from red algae Polysiphonia. Macrocystis is the source of Potash. Laminaria and Fucus are the source of Iodine.
B. Economic importance of Fungi:
1. Mushrooms, morels (Morchella) and truffles are edible fungi.
2. Microbes mainly yeasts used for the production of beverages like wine, beer, whisky, brandy or rum. For this purpose the yeast {Saccharomyces cerevisiae) used for fermenting malted cereals and juices to produce ethanol and commonly called Brewer's yeast.
• Cyclosporin A is produced by Trichoderma polysporum (Fungus). Cyclosporin A is used as an immunosuppressive agent in organ transplant patients.
• Statins produced by Monascus purpureus (Yeast). Statins used as the blood-cholesterol lowering agent.
| Penicillin | Penicillium notatum and Penicillium chrysogenum |
| Griseofulvin | Penicillium griseofulvum |
| Cephalosporin | Cephalosporium acremonium |
| Gentomycin | Micromonospora purpurea |
The common name of pea is simpler than its botanical (scientific) name Pisum sativum. Why then is the simpler common name not used instead of the complex scientific/ botanical name in biology?
Neurospora—an ascomycetes fungus has been used as a biological tool to understand the mechanism of plant genetics much in the same way as Drosophila has been used to study animal genetics. What makes Neurospora so important as a genetic tool?
Neurospora – an ascomycetes fungus has been used as a biological tool to understand the mechanism of plant genetics much in the same way as Drosophila has been used to study animal genetics. What makes Neurospora so important as a genetic tool?
How is the five-kingdom classification advan-tageous over the two kingdom classification?
Peat’ is an important source of domestic fuel in several countries. How is ‘peat’ formed in nature?
Cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria have been clubbed together in Eubacteria of kingdom Monera as per the "Five Kingdom Classification"even though the two are vastly different from each other. Is this grouping of the two types of taxa in the same kingdom justified? If so, why?
Algae are known to reproduce asexually by variety of spores under different environmental conditions. Name these spores and the conditions under which they are produced.
Biological classification is a dynamic and ever evolving phenomenon which keeps changing with our understanding of life forms. Justify the statement taking any two examples.
Apart from chlorophyll, algae have several other pigments in their chloroplast. What pigments are found in blue-green, red and brown algae that are responsible for their characteristic colours?
Cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria have been clubbed together in Eubacteria of Kingdom Monera as per the “Five Kingdom Classification” even though the two are vastly different from each other. Is this grouping of the two types of taxa in the same kingdom justified? If so, why?
Peat' is an important source of domestic fuel in several countries. How is ‘peat' formed in nature?
Algae are known to reproduce asexually by variety of spores under different environmental conditions. Name these spores and the conditions under which they are produced.
There is a myth that immediately after heavy rains, in forest, mushrooms appear in large number and make a very large ring or circle, which may be several metres in diameter. These are called as’Fairy rings’. Can you explain this myth of fairy rings in biological terms?
Biological classification is a dynamic and ever evolving phenomenon which keeps changing with our understanding of life forms. Justify the statement taking any two examples.
What observable features in Trypanosoma would make you classify it under Kingdom Protista?
At a stage of their cycle, ascomycetes fungi produce the fruiting bodies like apothecium, perithecium or cleistothecium. How are these three types of fruiting bodies different from each other?
Apart from chlorophyll, algae have several other pigments in their chloroplast. What pigments are found in blue-green, red and brown algae that are responsible for their characteristic colours?
Make a list of algae and fungi that have commercial value as source of food, chemicals, medicines and fodder.
What observable features in Trypanosoma would make you classify it under Kingdom Protista?
There is a myth that immediately after heavy rains in forest, mushrooms appear in large number and make a very large ring or circle, which may be several metres in diameter. These are called as ‘Fairy rings'. Can you explain this myth of fairy rings in biological terms?
A virus is considered as a living organism and an obligate parasite when inside a host cell. But virus is not classified along with bacteria or fungi. What are the characters of virus that are similar to non-living objects?
Make a list of algae and fungi that have commercial value as source of food,
chemicals, medicines and fodder.
What is the principle underlying the use of cyanobacteria in agricultural fields for crop improvement?
At a stage of their cycle, ascomycetes fungi produce the fruiting bodies like apothecium, perithecium or deistothecium. How are these three types of fruiting bodies different from each other?
Suppose you accidentally find an old preserved permanent slide without a label. In your effort to identify it, you place the slide under microscope and observe the following features:-
(a) Unicellular
(b) Well defined nucleus
(c) Biflagellate – one flagellum lying longitudi-nally and the other transversely.
What would you identify it as? Can you name the kingdom it belongs to?
Apart from chlorophyll, algae have several other pigments in their chloroplast. What pigments are found in blue-green, red and brown algae that are responsible for their characteristic colours?