Marine Primary Producers. Primary Producers Notes Primary Producers - make organic matter from CO2 -...

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Marine Primary Producers

Transcript of Marine Primary Producers. Primary Producers Notes Primary Producers - make organic matter from CO2 -...

Marine Primary Producers

Primary Producers NotesPrimary Producers - make organic matter from CO2 - usually by photosynthesis.

Until the 20th Century there were only “plants” and “animals”.

50’s and 60’s questions about fungi, protists, bacteria arise?

By 70’s five kingdom classification “hand” diagram, now six.

phytoplankton in food chain

Kingdom Monera - prokarotyes - cells that lack organelles

ex. Bacteria - 250,000 on head of pin on average, under optimal conditions they can reproduce by cell division twice an hour. Exponential grow

Bacteria perform all basic chemical processes found in other organisms - (probably first life forms on planet). Fossil bacteria 3.8 bil

Decay Bacteria - heterotrophic important in cycling nutrients. decomposer

Autotrophic Bacteria - photosynthetic or chemosynthetic (like bacteria at hydrothermal vent communities).

Cyanobacteria (blue/green algae) - chlorophyll but no chloroplasts. May have been first photosynthetic organism on the planet and maybe responsible for our atmosphere. Also carries out nitrogen fixation.

Diatoms - • Kingdom Protista• Division - “Plants”.• Phylum - animals.• Diatoms belong to the division Chrysophyta.• Phylum- Bacillariophyta• Are part of phytoplankton.• Diatoms account for majority of food and O2 production in

coastal waters.• 12,000 species - half are marine.• Single celled, eukaryotic (has nucleus) autotrophic.• Chlorophyll a photosynthetic pigment in chloroplasts.

• Pill box of glass.• Frustule (cell wall) of

pectin and silica.• Chloroplasts scattered

throughout cytoplasm.• Elongated - bilaterally

symmetrical = pennate or wheel shaped - radially symmetrical = centric.

Reproduce by simple cell division (mitosis). Asexual, genetically identical daughter cells.

Some pennate species can move under their own power (cytoplasmic slime produces gliding movement).

Build up of dead diatoms = diatomaceous earth; used in pool filters, mild abrasive for toothpaste.

White Cliffs of Dover

Adaptations to keep near the surface/defense against zooplankton:Light build, oil droplets, same density as H2O,long thin hairs, threads or horns