Atractomorpha (alga)
genus of algae
Atractomorpha is a genus in the Sphaeropleaceae, a family of green algae.
The genus name is derived from Greek and means "spindle-shaped" or "arrow-shaped", and refers to the shape of the cells.
Description
Atractomorpha consists of solitary cells. Cells are variable in size, but range from 25 μm to 6 mm in length. They are usually spindle-shaped, with two sharply pointed ends, but sometimes may develop three- or four-pointed cells. Cells are initially uninucleate (with one cell nucleus), but as the cell develops it becomes multinucleate; the cytoplasm is separated by large vacuoles into zones each containing chloroplasts and nuclei. Chloroplasts are ring-shaped bands or diffusely net-like.
Reproduction in Atractomorpha occurs asexually or sexually. In asexual reproduction, zoospores develop from vegetative cells, or less commonly aplanospores. Zoospores are relatively large, initially spindle-shaped but becoming pyriform or ovate.
The public source identifies “Atractomorpha (alga)” as genus of algae. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Atractomorpha, alga and genus.
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This entry incorporates text from “Atractomorpha (alga)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.