Cyanobacteria
Photosynthetic ancient microbes
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria found in water and moist environments worldwide.
Often called blue-green algae, they're among Earth's oldest life forms and produced much of the oxygen in our atmosphere.
Some species form harmful blooms in lakes and ponds, producing toxins dangerous to animals and humans.
The lake was closed due to a cyanobacteria outbreak.
Photosynthetic prokaryotes in water
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- prokaryoteCell without nuclear membrane
- filamentousComposed of thin strands
nitrogen fixation · cell wall · autotroph · colonial · unicellular · pigment · mucilage · sheath
Element eight, colorless gas
- ancientVery old indeed
- primitiveIn earliest form
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- PrecambrianEarliest geological eon
endosymbiosis · chloroplast · origin · ancestor · atmosphere · oxygenation · primordial · Archean
Flower or flourishing state
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- aquaticWater-inhabiting
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
- marineRelating to the sea
plankton · biofilm · mat · reef · epiphyte · symbiont · lichen · coral
Substance toxic to liver
- neurotoxinPoison attacking neural tissue
- poisoningHarmful substance exposure
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
- drinking waterSafe liquid for consumption
livestock · fish kill · health advisory · beach closure · treatment · monitoring · warning · bioaccumulation
Fuel from organic sources
- spirulinaEdible blue-green microalgae
- supplementSomething added to complete
- proteinFolded amino chain
- bioplasticPlant-derived synthetic material
bioreactor · genetic engineering · carbon capture · nutraceutical · bioremediation · sustainable · cultivation · biomass
blue-green algae
Photosynthetic prokaryotes in water
- photosynthesisLight-to-sugar conversion in plants
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- prokaryoteCell without nuclear membrane
filamentous · nitrogen fixation · cell wall · autotroph · colonial · unicellular · pigment · mucilage · sheath · trichome
oxygen
Element eight, colorless gas
Precambrian · endosymbiosis · chloroplast · origin · ancestor · atmosphere · oxygenation · primordial · Archean · evolutionary
bloom
Flower or flourishing state
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- aquaticWater-inhabiting
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
marine · plankton · biofilm · mat · reef · epiphyte · symbiont · lichen · coral · ecosystem
hepatotoxin
Substance toxic to liver
- neurotoxinPoison attacking neural tissue
- poisoningHarmful substance exposure
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
drinking water · livestock · fish kill · health advisory · beach closure · treatment · monitoring · warning · bioaccumulation · liver damage
biofuel
Fuel from organic sources
- spirulinaEdible blue-green microalgae
- supplementSomething added to complete
- proteinFolded amino chain
bioplastic · bioreactor · genetic engineering · carbon capture · nutraceutical · bioremediation · sustainable · cultivation · biomass · pharmaceutical
Cyanobacteriaeukaryotes
Nuclear-membrane organisms
protists · diatoms · green algae · fungi · protozoa
CyanobacteriaClostridium