What is the smallest photosynthetic autotroph on the earth?
The smallest photosynthetic autotroph is Prochlorococcus. Prochlorococcus is a single-celled organism with a diameter of about 500 to 700 nanometers. At the same time, it was also the year with the largest number of photosynthetic autotrophs on the earth last year (2.8× 10 27 to 3.4× 10 27), totaling about1.71000 million tons of carbon.
Plants are called producers of food chain because they can use inorganic substances to produce organic substances and store energy through photosynthesis. By eating, consumers in the food chain can absorb the energy stored by plants, with an efficiency of about 30%.
Photosynthesis usually refers to the process that green plants (including algae) absorb light energy, synthesize carbon dioxide and water into high-energy organic matter, and release oxygen at the same time. It mainly includes two stages: light reaction and dark reaction, involving light absorption, electron transfer, photosynthetic phosphorylation, carbon assimilation and other important reaction steps, which is of great significance to realize natural energy conversion and maintain the balance of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere.
Algae and bacteria
Eukaryotic algae, such as red algae, green algae and brown algae. Like higher plants, chloroplasts can also produce oxygen for photosynthesis. Light is absorbed by chlorophyll, and many algae have other different pigments in their chloroplasts, giving them different colors.
Photosynthetic bacteria have no chloroplasts, but are directly carried out by the cells themselves. Cyanobacteria (or "cyanobacteria") belonging to prokaryotes also contain chlorophyll, which produces oxygen and photosynthesis like chloroplasts. In fact, it is generally believed that chloroplasts evolved from cyanobacteria.
Other photosynthetic bacteria have a variety of pigments, called bacterial chlorophyll or bacteriocin, but do not oxidize water to produce oxygen, and use other substances (such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur or hydrogen) as electron donors. Non-oxygen-producing photosynthetic bacteria include purple sulfur bacteria, purple non-sulfur bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, green non-sulfur bacteria and solar bacteria.
Brief introduction of Chlorella vulgaris.
Chlorella. It is an algae belonging to Cladosporium of Cladosporiaceae. Perennial submerged plants. Algae are filamentous aggregates, mostly forming loose spherical or irregular green clumps, with a diameter of 1-30 cm, floating at the bottom of the water. There are 1 large vacuole in the center of the cell, and the color carrier is reticular. When a cell divides, a 1 ring is generated in the middle of the cell sidewall, which grows towards the center and divides the cell into two. Branching occurs on the top side of 1 cell, which makes branching usually binary. Branching usually occurs in some cells near the top of filaments. Spores have flagella of equal length.
Originated in Hokkaido, Japan and other places. It is only distributed in a few lakes such as Japan, Iceland and Estonia at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere. Chlorococcus likes bright places without direct sunlight, likes to be warm and avoid heat, and grows well in the temperature range of 20-28℃, and the wintering temperature should not be lower than 4℃.
This plant is suitable for indoor water greening and can be placed in a small glass container for viewing. In the country of origin, its sales become an important income of tourism. Every year in June 5438+ 10, the local indigenous people in Ahan Lake hold the Chlorella Festival to show their respect for it.
Culture technology of Chlorella vulgaris.
Because Chlorella is a floating plant, it is usually cultivated in unpolluted fresh water instead of ordinary solid substrate. In indoor cultivation, tap water can be selected as the cultivation substrate. Pot culture can be combined with plant division operation. Green cocci are generally planted alone, and the culture containers are generally small aquariums. Pay attention to the place where it is placed, and choose a place with bright light and no direct sunlight. Firstly, clear water is injected into the cultivation container, and then the prepared seedlings are directly put in.
Chlorococcus does not require high water quality, so it can be cultivated in fresh water with high hardness. The pH value of the water body is preferably controlled between 6.8 and 7.5, that is, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. It grows slowly and requires less fertilizer. Although Chlorella is a lower plant, it does not have as developed roots as angiosperms, but can directly absorb nutrients from water through its body surface. Therefore, in the rapid growth stage of plants in spring and autumn, a small amount of liquid fertilizer can be applied to water every 1-2 weeks. In the shade of the environment, the photosynthesis of plants is slow, which is not good for their growth; However, if the light is too strong, it is easy to entangle with other algae, which will affect its growth and greatly reduce its ornamental value. Under good management conditions, Chlorella is not easy to get sick and less attacked by harmful animals. This plant is perennial, but it grows slowly and has a very long life. It takes decades for this plant to grow into an algae body the size of a baseball. When its growth potential is obviously weakened, it should be replaced by a new cultivated plant.