Question

Common example of red algae is
A. Porphyra
B. Batrachospermum
C. Ectocarpus
D. Both A and B

Answer 1

Hint: They are characterized by reddish colour due to the predominance of the accessory pigments, phycoerythrobilin, phycocyanobilin, phycourobilin and phycobilin violin in phycobilisomes, in addition to the green pigment, chlorophyll pigments (often, chlorophyll a). They store their carbohydrate reserve as floridian starch.

Complete step by step answer: An alga is a living, eukaryotic and photosynthetic organism usually grown in moist areas. Hence, they are called the members of aquatic organisms. Like plants, these organisms also contain chlorophyll and other biological pigments that act as a primary colouring agent and also helps in absorbing energy from light. The scientific name of red algae is Rhodophyta and they belong to the class Rhodophyceae. There are two classes of red algal namely the Florideophyceae and Bangiophyceae. Red alga is a distinctive type of species that are mostly found in the freshwater lakes and are the oldest type of eukaryotic algae. They are red in colour due to the presence of a pigment called chlorophyll A, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin. They are the distinctive type of species, mostly found in the deep freshwater bodies. Red algae form an important part of the ecosystem and are consumed by various organisms such as crustaceans, fish, worms and even humans. Red algae are also used to produce agar that is used as a food additive. They are rich in calcium and also used in vitamin supplements. The only difference between the red algae and other algae is that the red algae lack flagella, the whip-like structures that help in locomotion and perform sensory functions. Few examples of red algae are Irish moss, Dulse, Laver (Nori), Porphyra and Coralline algae.
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note: Red alga is the most important commercial food in Japan and in the region of North Atlantic. Agar or agar-agar, a jelly-like substance which is used in puddings, dairy toppings and other instant food products is extracted from the red algae.