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Cyanobacteria

The document discusses cyanobacteria, including their characteristic structures, photosynthetic processes, reproduction through binary fission and spore formation, and economic importance as sources of food, soil nitrogen fixation, and potential toxins.

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ummiy999
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93 views5 pages

Cyanobacteria

The document discusses cyanobacteria, including their characteristic structures, photosynthetic processes, reproduction through binary fission and spore formation, and economic importance as sources of food, soil nitrogen fixation, and potential toxins.

Uploaded by

ummiy999
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PSB 201 NOTE

Cyanobacteria: characteristic,structure,reproduction and economic important

The cyanobacteria (the earlier blue-green algae), or the blue-green bacteria,


represent a group of photosynthetic, mostly photolysis-mediated oxygen-evolving
monerans (prokaryotes).

Characteristic of cyanobacteria

(i) Cyanobacteria can grow in diverse habitats, but one striking feature in their
occurrence and predominance in habitats alternating between photo-aerobic and
photo-anaerobic conditions can be correlated with their preference for low
oxygen tension and low redox-potential. These properties stem from their
recently discovered dual-capacity of oxygenic photosynthesis and facultative an-
oxygenic photosynthesis,

(ii) The cyanobacteria possess various morphologically distinctive structures, e.g.,


akinetes and heterocysts.

(iii) The main cell wall constituent of cyanobacteria is peptidoglycan.

(iv) The cyanobacterial cytoplasm is traversed extensively by flattened vesicular


structures called thylakoids or lamellae, the photosynthetic sites,

(v) The principal photosynthetic pigment of all cyanobacteria is chlorophyll a.


Besides, they possess β-carotene and other accessory pigments, namely,
phycobiliproteins. The phycobiliproteins are phycocyanin (PC), allophycocyanin
(AP), allophycocyanin B (APB), and phycoerythrin, and

(vi) Most filamentous cyanobacteria show a gliding motility at some stage of


development; they lack flagella.
Cyanobacteria Structure

Vegetative structure: They may be unicellular or form colonies of different shapes


or form filaments. The filament is composed of trichomes. Trichome is a chain of
cell. Each filament is surrounded by mucilaginous sheath. A trichome with its
enclosing sheath is called filament. Trichome may be branched or
unbranched. Locomotion: They lack flagella. They use gas vesicle to move in the
water. Many filamentous species show gliding movements. Some filaments shift
their position laterally in water.

Cell structure: Cell has following parts:

1. Cell wall and mucilaginous sheath: They have primitive cell types. Cell is
surrounded by cell wall. Cell wall is composed of cellulose and pectic substances.
Mucilage form sheath around the cell. Sheath increases the water holding
capacity of cell. The colour of sheath protects the cell from strong light.

2. Protoplast: Protoplast is divided into two parts:

(a) Centroplasm: The central region is colourless called centroplasm.


Centroplasm has central body. It contains chromatin material. Nuclear material is
not present in the form of chromosome. It is present in the form of crystalline
granules. It may be called primitive nucleus. But it lack nuclear membrane and
nucleolus.

(b) Chromoplasm: The outer region is blue green pigmented. It is


called chromoplasm. Chromoplasm contain pigments chlorophyll, carotine,
myxothanhophyll and phycocyanin. It also contains oil droplets and glycogen.
Certain gas vesicles are also present in it.

3. Photosynthetic system: Their photosynthetic system is closely resembled to the


eukaryotes. They have chlorophyll and photosystem II. They use water as electron
donor. They release oxygen during photosynthesis. Therefore, they carry
out oxygenic photosynthesis. They use phycobilins as accessory pigments.
Photosynthetic pigments and electron transport chain components are located
within the thylakoid membrane. These pigments are linked with
particles phycobilisomes. A blue pigment Phycoeyanin is their predominant
phycobilins.Cyanobacteria fix CO2 through the Calvin Cycle.

4. Heterocysts: The filaments of some cyanobacteria have special cells called


heterocysts. They are enlarged barrel shaped cells. There are different views
about the nature of heterocysts. According to one view, they are vestigial spores.
According to second view heterocysts have role in nitrogen fixation.

Reproduction in Cyanobacteria:

Sexual reproduction is completely absent in cyanobacteria. It reproduce asexually


by following methods:

a) Binary fission: It is a simple cell division. The genetic material replicates.


They move to opposite poles. A ring like outgrowth appears in the middle
of the cell. It divides the cell into two.
b) Fragmentation: The filament of the cyanobacteria breaks to from small
fragments. Each filament grows to form new colony.
c) Hormogonia: The broken pieces of a filament are called hormogonia.
Double concave discs of gelatinous material are formed between two cells.
It is called separation disc. The filaments break at these points and form
hormogonia.
d) Hormospores: Under unfavourable conditions, some hormogonia develop
thick wall. They are called hormospores. They germinate directly into new
filament in favorable conditions.

e) Spore formation: There are following types of spores:


▪ Akinetes or arthrospores: Akinetes are thick walled, enlarge reproductive
cells. The cell stores reserve food and enlarans. It secretes thick wall and
become akinete. Akinete has outer wall exospore and inner wall
endospore. They are yellow or brown coloured. The• akinete germinate
immediately after raining.

▪ Endospores: Some cyanobacteria develop endospores. The protoplast of


certain cells divides and develops endospores. The old cell wall burst and
endospores come out.

▪ Exospores: They are cut out at the tip of some branches. They get
separated and develop new filament.

Economic Importance of Cyanobacteria:

1. Cyanobacteria are one of the early colonizers of bare and barren areas and
generate such conditions that favour the growth of other organisms even in the
most hostile environment.
2. They are good food source for several aquatic animals. Moreover, the
cyanobacteria are now-the-days exploited as food for animals including humans.
Spirulina, a filamentous cyanobacterium, is now incorporated in food supplement
as well as animal feed through ‘single cell protein’ manufacture because of its
high protein content (upto 70%).

3. N2-fixation is the characteristic feature of many cyanobacteria and this function


is performed by heterocysts present in them. Aulosira, Nostoc, Anabaena, etc. are
some such cyanobacteria that are now regularly inoculated in the rice fields for
nitrogen supply. This saves consumption of nitrogen fertilizers.

4. N2-fixing cyanobacteria (e.g., Nostoc, Anabaena) are often used for reclamation
of ‘user’ soils. They produce acidic chemicals for counteracting alkalinity of the
soil and they supply nitrogen compounds which are generally deficient in these
soils.

5. Species of Anabaena and Aulosira do not allow mosquito larvae to grow


nearby. Such cyanobacteria can be inoculated in village ponds to prevent the
growth of mosquitoes.

6. Extracts of Lyngbia are used to manufacture antibiotic-like compounds.

7. Certain cyanobacteria such as Microcystis aeruginosa (= Anacystis cyanea),


Anabaena flos-aquae and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae produce toxins harmful to
most aquatic animals. These toxins may prove equally harmful to humans drinking
or bathing in such water.

8. Cyanobacteria generally grow on walls and roofs of buildings during the rainy
seasons and cause discolouration, corrosion, and leakage.

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