Cladophora -green alga

Cladophora-Vegetative structure and function

1. Cladophora Vegetative Structure and Reproduction Kamaljit Sidhu Associate Professor Department of Botany Khalsa College for Women Civil Lines Ludhiana

2. Cladophora -Classification Division- Chlorophyta Class- Chlorophyceae Order- Cladophorales Family- Cladophoraceae Genus- Cladophora

3. Occurrence and Vegetative Structure All species are aquatic , abundant in fresh water and marine habitat Usually attached to the substratum and epizoic Common species- Cladophora glomerata This green alga is macroscopic Plant body multicellulae,filamentous,profusely branched It is coarse and stringy to touch Species growing in stagnant water, not attached to the substratum- aegagropilous Attached forms attached to the substratum by rhizoidal cell

4. Cladohora -Branching Branches arise laterally from the upper ends just below the septum as a tubular outgrowth Outgrowth seperated from the main thallus by formation of a septum During the development the main axis and the branch give the appearance of dichotomy

5. Cladophora -Cell Structure Cells are elongated,cylindrical,multinucleate and coenocytic Each cell has a 3 layered cell wall Outer layer made of chitin Reticulate chloroplast Chloroplast associated with large number of pyrenoids Centre of the cell occupied by a large central vacuole

6. Reproduction

7. Vegetative Reproduction Storage cells- Rhizoids grow into the substratum , undergo repeated cell divisions , produce short filaments , store food , thick walled, perennate over unfavourable conditions Fragmentation- Aegagropilous species filaments break into small fragments and develop into seperate plants Stolons - Rhizoidal branches form stolons and grow into new filaments

8. Asexual Reproduction Akinetes - Cells in larger branches become filled with food materials and get swollen. They develop thick and resistant walls called akinetes which remain dormant under unfavourable conditions,germinate under favourable conditions Zoospores -zoospores produced inside the terminal cells which behave as a zoosporangium, zoospores are haploid, produce gametophytic thallus

9. Sexual Reproduction

10. Life-Cycle

11. Life-Cycle