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Green algae

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A colorful collage showcasing different types of green algae, a common plant in aquatic environments.

Green Algae

Green algae are tiny plants that can make their own food using sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis. You can find green algae in many places, like oceans, lakes, and even on rocks and trees.

There are about 22,000 different kinds of green algae. Some are so small you need a microscope to see them. Others are big enough to see without one, like seaweeds you might spot on a beach.

Green algae have a special green color because of something inside them called chlorophyll a. They also have walls made of cellulose that help them stay strong. Some green algae can even move with tiny hair-like parts called flagella.

These amazing plants also work with fungi to make something called lichens. The algae make food, and the fungi give them protection. This teamwork helps both stay healthy and grow.

Green algae are very important for scientists. They help us learn about how tiny cells work, move, and stay balanced. By studying green algae, we discover more about the natural world and how living things survive.

Images

A photo showing green algae growing on rocks along the ocean shore near Kahuku, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i.
A microscopic view of green algae cells fusing together in a natural process called conjugation, captured from a pond in Texas.
A close-up of freshly harvested algae taken from a dam.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Green algae, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.