Question

Chlorophyll 'c', 'd' and 'e' are characteristic pigments of respectively
(A)Red algae, Brown algae, and yellow-green algae
(B)Brown algae, Red algae, and yellow-green algae
(C)Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Euglena
(D)Higher plants, Red algae, Diatoms

Answer 1

Hint: The algae contains mainly three types of photosynthetic pigments- chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phycobilins. But not all types of these three pigments are present in all types of algae. Different varieties of algae contain only certain pigments that they require for their autotrophic nutrition.

Complete answer:
The correct sequence of algae from the question is
Brown algae, Red Algae, and Yellow-green algae
Below is the chart for the algae and their pigment content-

Algae	Pigments
Brown	Fucoxanthin, chlorophyll 'a' and 'c', beta carotene
Red	Chlorophyll 'a' and 'd', phycobilins, red and blue pigments
Yellow-green	Chlorophyll 'a', 'e' and 'c', Xanthophylls, and beta carotene

Additional Information: Brown algae include many seaweeds located in colder waters within the northern hemisphere and some examples are Macrocystis, Sargassum, etc. They are adapted to various environments such as the tidal splash zone, rock pools, deep nearshore waters, etc. Their photosynthetic system is made of a P700 complex which includes chlorophyll a and plastids contain Fucoxanthin and Chlorophyll c.
Red algae contain 7000 recognized species of algae that are abundant in marine water but also found in freshwater in warmer areas. Some examples are Rhodelia, Nemalion, Gelidium, etc. Photosynthetic pigments are Chlorophyll a and d. The color red is due to phycoerythrin and contains additional carrageenan and phlorotannins.
Yellow-green algae are freshwater but some are found in marine and soil habitat and contain Chlorophyll a, c, beta carotene, and carotenoid diadinoxanthin. They do not have Fucoxanthin and they are closest relative to brown algae. Some examples are Heterochloris, Rhizolekane, Tribonema, etc.
So, the correct answer is “Brown algae, Red Algae, and Yellow-green algae”.

Note: Algae contain three major classes of photosynthetic pigments which are Chlorophyll, phycobilins, and carotenoids. Chlorophyll and carotenoid can mostly be extracted from thylakoid membranes with organic solvents for example acetone, methanol, and DMSO. These are usually fat-soluble molecules. The phycobilins are water-soluble and the extraction sources are mainly algal tissues after the organic solvent extraction of chlorophyll in the tissues.