Facts About Seaweed

What is seaweed, and is seaweed a plant ? To be demand, seaweed is a character of multicellular alga, and true alga like seaweed belong to the kingdom Protista ( not the kingdom Plantae ). Algae are simple, plantlike organisms that are believed to be ancestors of contemporary land plants. Lacking vascular tissues like xylem and phloem, plantlike alga besides do not have genuine roots, stems or leaves. There are two types of alga : microalgae and macroalgae. modest microalgae are besides known as ​phytoplankton​, and large macroalgae are called ​seaweed​. Like on-key plants, both phytoplankton and seaweed contain chlorophyll and are photosynthetic.

Structure of Seaweed

There are thousands of species of seaweed, including varieties that live in oceans, rivers and lakes. The microscopic varieties of alga called phytoplankton float about, suspended in the water where they live. Seaweed, on the other hand, attaches itself to the deck of the ocean or rocks along the shores of rivers and lakes.

Because seaweed does not have true roots, it attaches itself with structures called ​holdfasts​, according to Britannica Kids. Unlike roots, holdfasts do not take in nutrients – they simply anchor the seaweed to a solid social organization. alternatively, seaweed absorb nutrients through ​blades​, which are leaflike structures, notes The Marine Diaries. Seaweed besides does not grow stems like bring plants. The blades of seaweed come forth from what is called a ​stipe​, which is similar to a bow. A ​frond​ is a group of blades that extend from one stipe. Some seaweeds grow ​air bladders​ on their blades or stipes to help them float in the water, according to The Maine Seaweed Council.

Types of Seaweed

Seaweed is divided into three main groups, by color : green, red and brown. green seaweed is the least common. Sea boodle ( ​Ulva​ spp. ) is one type of green seaweed that grows in the ocean, and its name comes from the fact that it is eaten by humans in salads and soups. There are more than 4,000 species of red seaweeds, including irish moss ( ​Chondrus crispus​ ) and some types that grow in coral reefs. Each type of seaweed has its own habitat, and many red seaweeds grow in places where they can attach themselves to early organisms. Brown seaweeds grow in cold waters, and there are about 1,500 species in this group. Giant kelp is one type of brown seaweed. Often growing in towering groups, kelp shape dense clusters in shallow waters, creating communities that are like underground forests. Giant kelp can grow over 33 meters long, and scientists have recorded ten to twelve inches of growth a day in giant kelp that live in Monterey Bay off the seashore of California.

Importance of Seaweed

Besides being an important food source in parts of the global, seaweeds besides contain anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and cancer-fighting compounds that are used for checkup purposes, according to the National Ocean Service. Seaweeds have been used for thousands of years for their health-promoting properties.

Seaweeds besides play an crucial character in submerged ecosystems. They provide food and shelter for pisces and other marine animals like sea urchins and crustaceans. Living at the basal of the food chain, they support many other life sentence forms in aquatic communities. just like other photosynthetic organisms, seaweeds produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. It is estimated that alga produces 30 to 50 percentage of Earth ‘s oxygen, which sustains humans and other species that live on land and in the sea. As it captures carbon, seaweed besides helps to reduce the acidity of the ocean. Seaweeds reduce befoulment by absorbing excess nutrients and toxins – like organic chemicals and heavy metals – from the water. They besides soak up micronutrients and antioxidants from clean water, making them an excellent fertilizer for farms. Seaweeds are used in human foods, medicines and cosmetics, angstrom well as in animal feeds.

source : https://thefartiste.com
Category : Tech