Some basics….
• Many people call this “pond scum”
• Filamentous green alga (unbranched
& varies in length)
• Phylum Chlorophyta
• Jelly-like covering surrounds &
protects filaments from injury
• Each cell contains 1-2 ribbon-like
chloroplasts (spiral in shape)
• Small dark bodies called pyrenoids
found on chloroplasts (store starch)
• Sexual reproduction via conjugation
(fusion or union of 2 gametes)
nucleus
cytoplasm
pyrenoid
chloroplast
cell wall
sheath
Can you pick
out any of the
structures from
the last slide?
1
2
3
4
Single filament
2 filaments align
& conjugation
tubes form
Migrating
protoplast
Zygotes form
Conjugation in
Spirogyra can be
found on pg. 354
of your text!
pyrenoids
chloroplasts
conjugation tubes
Direction of Movement
Active cell
Passive cell
Zygospore
The cell walls of the
original filaments decay &
release the zygospores.
After a period of rest,
& when favorable
conditions return, this
zygospore will give rise
to a new filament.
Talk about…..Spirogyra
Use this text box to type in your own
personal notes/observations regarding
the Spirogyra lab. Save it to your own
personal file and use as a study aid.
:-)
(1) Is Spirogyra unicellular or
multicellular?