Chlorophyta

Chlorophyta is a major lineage of green algae, ranging from unicellular forms to multicellular seaweeds. Its members contain chlorophylls a and b and store carbohydrates mainly as starch.

Chlorophyll a: A photosynthetic pigment that absorbs light and drives electron transfer in oxygenic photosynthesis. Chlorophyta shares this core pigment with other photosynthetic lineages.
Photosystem II: A protein complex that uses light energy to extract electrons from water, releasing oxygen. Chlorophyta uses this complex to power oxygen-producing photosynthesis.
Chlorella: A genus of small, nonmotile, unicellular green algae found in freshwater and other habitats. Its compact single-cell form contrasts with the lineage’s large seaweeds.
Primary production: The formation of organic matter from inorganic carbon by photosynthetic or chemosynthetic organisms. Chlorophyte photosynthesis contributes substantially to aquatic food webs and carbon capture.
Chlorophyll b: An accessory photosynthetic pigment that broadens light absorption and transfers energy to chlorophyll a. Its presence distinguishes green algae from many other algal groups.
Carbon fixation: The incorporation of inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules. Its photosynthetic members fix carbon using pathways such as the Calvin cycle.
Volvox: A genus of freshwater green algae that forms spherical colonies of flagellated cells. Its colonies illustrate coordinated multicellularity among chlorophyte algae.
Phytoplankton: Microscopic, drifting photosynthetic organisms that inhabit aquatic environments. Many unicellular chlorophytes are phytoplankton and support aquatic consumers.
Chloroplast: A membrane-bound organelle in plants and algae where photosynthesis takes place. Chlorophyta’s defining photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts inherited from an ancient primary endosymbiosis.
Calvin cycle: A cycle of enzyme reactions that incorporates carbon dioxide into organic molecules using ATP and NADPH. This cycle converts the energy captured by chlorophyte photosystems into fixed carbon.

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