Question

Agar agar is produced by
a. Fungi
b. algae
c. bacteria
d. blue green algae

Answer 1

Hint: Agar agar is a gelatin like product or a solidify component of bacteriological culture media. It is used in canning, meat, fish , poultry, cosmetics, medicine and dentistry.

Complete Answer:
a- First option is fungi, Fungi produce mushrooms which are edible products . Yeast is used as fermentation during manufacture of bread ,bear, cheese and wine. Mycorrhizae are fungi found in the roots of plants. Root gets benefit as it gets minerals from the environment whereas fungi get food from the plant. Various types of antibiotics are derived from fungi.Penicillin is obtained from fungi.

b- Option b is algae. Algae is largely aquatic fresh or marine water organisms. Algae are chlorophyll bearing,simple ,thalloid , autotrophic organisms. Algae have diverse economic importance. They perform half of the total carbon dioxide fixation on earth by photosynthesis, acting as the primary producers in aquatic habitats. It has commercial importance too. Algae produce agar which is used in preparation of jellies and ice cream.

c- Option c is bacteria.Bacteria is found in the soil to make it fertile. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. It is used to produce antibiotic streptomycin. Lactobacillus algae ferment lactose to lactic acid.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: Algae are divided into three classes based on their main pigments: chlorophyceae, phaeophyceae and rhodophyceae
 These divisions are based on:- major photosynthetic pigment present
- form of stored food.
- cell wall composition.