User:Yagya36/Red algae

Red algal morphology is diverse ranging from unicellular forms to complex parenchymatous and non- parenchymatous thallus.

Cell Structure
Red algae are found to have no flagella and centrioles during their entire life cycle. Presence of normal spindle fibers, microtubules, un-stacked photosynthetic membranes, presence of phycobilin pigment granules, presence of pit connection between cells filamentous genera, absence of chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum are the distinguishing characters of red algal cell structure.

Chloroplasts
The presence of water soluble pigments called phycobilins (phycocyanobilin, phycoerythrobilin, phycourobilin and phycobiliviolin), which are localized into phycobilisomes, gives red algae their distinctive color. Chloroplasts contain evenly spaced and ungrouped thylakoids. Double membrane of chloroplast envelope surrounds the chloroplast. Absence of grana and attachment of phycobilisomes on the stromal surface of the thylakoid membrane are other distinguishing characters of red algal chloroplast.

Storage products
The major photosynthetic products include floridoside (major product), D‐isofloridoside, digeneaside, mannitol, sorbitol, dulcitol etc. Floridean starch (similar to amylopectin in land plants), a long term storage product, is deposited freely (scattered) in the cytoplasm. The concentration of photosynthetic products is altered by the environmental conditions like change in pH, salinity of medium, change in light intensity, nutrient limitation etc. When the salinity of the medium increases the production of floridoside is increased in-order to prevent water leaving from algal cells.


 * Gracilaria changii, Gracilariales


 * Galdieria phlegrea, Cyanidiophytina


 * Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, Gracilariales

Genome and transcriptome of red algae
As enlisted in realDB, 27 complete transcriptomes and 10 genomes sequences of red algae are available.