Haematococcus
Appearance
Haematococcus | |
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Two individuals of an unidentified Haematococcus species | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
(unranked): | Viridiplantae |
Division: | Chlorophyta |
Class: | Chlorophyceae |
Order: | Chlamydomonadales |
Family: | Haematococcaceae |
Genus: | Haematococcus Wille in Warming, 1884 |
Species | |
Haematococcus capensis |
Haematococcus is a genus of algae in the family Haematococcaceae. Members of this group are a common cause of the pink color found in birdbaths.[1] One of the most notable species of Haematococcus is H. pluvialis, which is used in cosmetic products due to its production of astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant carotenoid, under stress conditions.
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Drawing of Haematococcus pluvialis[2]
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Flagellate stage
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When stressed, this green microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis, degrades chlorophylls and accumulates a strong red antioxidant, the carotenoid astaxanthin
References
[edit]- ^ See the NCBI webpage on Haematococcus. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ Frank Shipley Collins. The Green Algae of North America, Volume II of Tufts College Studies, Published by Tufts College, 1909, pp 79-480. From Plate II.
Further reading
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haematococcus.
- Nozaki H, Onishi K, Morita E (2002). "Differences in pyrenoid morphology are correlated with differences in the rbcL genes of members of the Chloromonas lineage (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae)". J Mol Evol. 55 (4): 414–430. doi:10.1007/s00239-002-2338-9. PMID 12355262.
- Gutman, J., Zarka, A and Boussiba, S. 2009. The host-range of Paraphysoderma sedebokerensis, a chytrid that infects Haematococcus pluvialis. Eur. J. Phycol. 44: 509 - 514.