Question

Laminaria and Fucus belong to
(a) Red algae
(b) Green algae
(c) Brown algae
(d) Golden brown algae

Answer 1

Hint: Laminaria is also known as kelp. It is the largest and the most complex of the class of algae it belongs to Laminaria and Fucus have a xanthophyll pigment called the fucoxanthin which provides the characteristic colour to them.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Laminaria and Fucus are both multicellular algae and they belong to the class Phaeophyceae which includes many seaweeds. This class of algae is also known as the brown algae. Most of the brown algae live in marine environments and play an important role as both food and habitat for marine life forms.
So, the correct answer is, “Brown algae.”

Additional Information:
- There are about 1,500 to 2,000 species of brown algae worldwide. Some brown algae species such as Ascophyllum nodosum, are also part of many research and are of commercial importance.
- Most of them have the pigment fucoxanthin which provides the distinctive greenish- brown colour to them.
- Macrocystis pyrifera which belongs to the family Laminariales are large algae and can grow over 50 m or 150 ft long.
- All brown algae are multicellular. There are no known species of brown algae that are single- celled or seen as a colony of cells.

Note:
- Order Laminaria also called kelps is one of the edible algae that are used by humans. They are the largest and the most complex brown algae.
- The kelps also form a huge part of the marine ecosystem and account for a lot of the biodiversity. They also fix a significant portion of the earth’s carbon dioxide.
- Many members of the order Fucales grow on the rocky seashore. Fucus is also an edible algal species.