Glaucophyte
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2008-07-06T18:25:17Z
Thijs!bot
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robot Adding: [[cs:Glaucophyta]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Glaucophyta
| image = Glaucocystis sp.jpg
| image_width = 220px
| image_caption = ''Glaucocystis'' sp.
| domain = [[Eukaryota]]
| unranked_phylum = [[Archaeplastida]]
| phylum = '''Glaucophyta'''
| subdivision_ranks = Possible genera
| subdivision =
* ''[[Glaucocystis]]''
* ''[[Cyanophora]]''
* ''[[Gloeochaete]]''
}}
The '''glaucophytes''', also known as '''glaucocystophytes''' or '''glaucocystids''', are a small group of freshwater microscopic [[algae]].<ref name="keeling">{{cite journal | journal = American Journal of Botany | year = 2004 | volume = 91 | pages = 1481–1493 | title = Diversity and evolutionary history of plastids and their hosts | author = Patrick J. Keeling | url = http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/91/10/1481 | doi = 10.3732/ajb.91.10.1481 }}</ref> Together with the [[red algae]] and [[Viridiplantae]] (green algae and land plants) they form the [[Archaeplastida]]. However, the relationships between the red algae, green algae and glaucophytes are unclear,<ref name="palmer">{{cite journal | url = http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/91/10/1437 | title = The plant tree of life: an overview and some points of view | author = Jeffrey D. Palmer, Douglas E. Soltis and Mark W. Chase | journal = American Journal of Botany | year = 2004 | volume = 91 | pages = 1437–1445 | doi = 10.3732/ajb.91.10.1437}}</ref> in large part due to limited study of the glaucophytes.
There are only 13 species of glaucophytes known, none of which are particularly common in nature.<ref name="keeling" />
The [[chloroplast]]s of glaucophytes are known as ''cyanelles''. Unlike other eukaryotic plastids they have a [[peptidoglycan]] layer which is believed to be a relic of the [[endosymbiotic theory|endosymbiotic]] origin of plastids from [[cyanobacteria]].<ref name="keeling" /> Glaucophytes contain the photosynthetic pigment [[chlorophyll a]].<ref name="keeling" /> Along with red algae<ref name="keeling" /> and cyanobacteria they harvest light via [[phycobilisome]]s, structures consisting largely of [[phycobiliprotein]]s. The green algae and land plants have lost that pigment.
The glaucophytes are of obvious interest to biologists studying the development of chloroplasts: if the hypothesis that primary chloroplasts had a single origin is correct, glaucophytes are closely related to both green plants and red algae, and may be similar to the original alga type from which all of these developed.
Glaucophytes have [[mitochondrion|mitochondria]] with flat cristae, and undergo open [[mitosis]] without [[centriole]]s. Motile forms have two unequal [[flagella]], which may have fine hairs and are anchored by a multilayered system of [[microtubule]]s, both of which are similar to forms found in some green algae.
The three main [[genus|genera]] included are:
* ''[[Glaucocystis]]'' is non-motile, though it retains very short [[vestigial]] flagella, and has a [[cellulose]] wall.
* ''[[Cyanophora]]'' is motile and lacks a cell wall.
* ''[[Gloeochaete]]'' has both motile and non-motile stages, and has a cell wall that does not appear to be composed of cellulose.
== References ==
<references/>
== External links ==
*[http://www.algaebase.org/browse/taxonomy/detail/?taxonid=4301 algaebase page]
[[Category:Protista]][[Category:Algae]]
[[cs:Glaucophyta]]
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