Champaca:Lara, Malixi, Yamat DINOFLAGELLATES Champaca:Lara, Malixi, Yamat

Characteristics of phylum Pyrrophyta o Some are luminescent o multiple cell walls with two valves o some pyrrophyta(Gymnodium and Gonyauluax) are responsible for red tides and can secrete neurotoxins which causes massive fish death o Half are photosynthetic autotrophs while the other half are non-photosynthetic ones which may be heterotrophs o photosynthetic species have golden brown or yellowish-green chloroplast o Heterotrophs can exist as parasites in fish and aquatic invertebrates

Structure and functions Dinoflagellates are the only eukaryotes with no histones. Most have two flagella for movement. One is the transverse flagellum and the other is the longitudinal flagellum. Some have rigid outer cell covering(usually made out of cellulose) while others do not. The cytoplasm of dinoflagellates contains typical eukaryotic organelles including: rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, nucleus, mitochondria, lipid and starch grains, food vacuoles etc. It may also contain one or several distinctive organelles which include:the pusule, the eyespot and more complex ocellus, and chloroplasts bounded by three rather than the usual two membranes. Many species are capable of emitting light or are luminescent.

Habitat Reproduction Ecology Asexual Reproduction Majority are marine Most Dinoflagellates live in the top 200 feet of the ocean. The photosynthetic ones are required to live in the upper parts of the ocean in order to obtain energy from the sun. They are one of the most important primary producers in the oceans. They are also common in freshwater lakes, rivers, and bogs. Asexual Reproduction Reproduce through binary fission Ecology Many have symbiotic relationships with other organisms such as corals and anemones.

Nutrition Half are photosynthetic autotrophs while the other half are non-photosynthetic ones which may be heterotrophs. The ability of dinoflagellates to move up and down through the water means they can take advantage of increased nutrient levels at greater depths during the night and return closer to the surface in order to photosynthesize during the day. They can obtain more nutrients due to their mobility. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates are known to feed on algae, eggs and larvae of other marine plankton, other dinoflagellates, and unicellular organisms. Feed on the waste products of the coral animals

Examples Gonyaulax polyedra Gonyaulax polyhedra has a polyvesicular body along the cell's periphery, and a large spherical body which may function in intracellular digestion. Gymnodinium catenatum It lacks armor or outer membrane.Gymnodinium catenatum is a toxin-producing species and is sometimes associated with red tide. Noctiluca scintillans Noctiluca scintillans also known as the Sea Sparkle is a marine-dwelling species of the dinoflagellate. The bioluminescence is produced by a luciferin-luciferase system.

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