Menu
A to Z
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I
| J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q|
R| S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z|
Phytoplankton - Definition, Glossary, Details - Oilgae
Small, usually microscopic plants
(such as algae), found in lakes, reservoirs, and other bodies of water - Source
The component of
plankton consisting of microscopic plants - Source
Microscopic floating plants,
mainly algae, that live suspended in bodies of water and that drift about
because they cannot move by themselves or because they are too small or too
weak to swim effectively against a current - Source
Links
Phytoplankton:
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of plankton. The name comes from
the Greek terms, phyton or plant and πλαγκτος
(planktos), meaning wanderer or drifter.[1]
Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye.
However, when present in high enough numbers, they may appear as a green
discoloration of the water due to the presence of chlorophyll within their
cells (although the actual color may vary with the species of phytoplankton
present due to varying levels of chlorophyll or the presence of accessory
pigments such as phycobiliproteins, xanthophylls, etc.).
Phytoplankton:
Plants of the Sea: The plant portion of this complex oceanic soup is called
phytoplankton. The term phyto comes from
the Latin phyton meaning tree or plant.
This large grouping is composed mostly of single-celled algae and
bacteria.