Cyanobacteria | True False Branching | Filament | Trichome

Cyanobacteria, also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of Gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name cyanobacteria refers to their color, which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria’s common name, blue-green algae. False Branching, also referred to as “pseudobranching.” False branches are the result of trichome breakage within a sheath, followed by the continued growth of one or both ends of the trichome. Unlike in true branching, false branches are not formed due to changes in the plane of cell division; the plane of cell division remains perpendicular to the long axis of the trichome. Trichome breakage may occur at heterocytes, or may occur between vegetative cells (facilitated by necridic cell formation). There are two types of false branching: Scytonema-like false branching (also referred to as double or geminate false branching) and Tolypothrix-like false branching (may also be referred to as single false branches). Scytonema-like false branching entails the formation of two morphologically identical paired branches, both diverging away from the original axis of the trichome. Tolypothrix-like false branching entails the formation of a single branch that diverges away from the main trichome axis. True branches are branches that remain physiologically connected with the main trichome; they are not the result of trichome breakage within the trichome’s sheath. These branches are formed through the following process: a cell within a trichome divides in a plane that is not perpendicular to the trichome’s long axis, then one or both of the resulting cells change their direction of division, and subsequent divisions result in growth that is perpendicular or oblique to the original trichome. True branching only occurs in heterocytous cyanobacteria, though many heterocytous types do not display true branching. Although commonly considered simple organisms that grow as single cells, many bacteria can grow as filaments made of chains of cells. In cyanobacteria, prokaryotes that perform oxygen-evolving photosynthesis, filamentous forms developed early in evolution Many species of cyanobacteria live colonially in long trichomes of hundreds to thousands of cells. Of the filamentous species, many are also motile, gliding along their long axis, and display photomovement, by which a trichome modulates its gliding according to the incident light. Questions: This alga exhibit true branching A) True B) False What is a trichome in Cyanobacteria? A) A sheath B) A phylum C. Linear array of cells #NikolaysGeneticsLessons #cyanobacteria #microscopicLife #pondWater #microbes #cyanobacteriaUnderMicroscope #microscopicLifeDocumentary #microscopicLifeInPondWater #microscopicLifeInAPond #microbesForKids #pondLife #SallyWarring #pondLifeForKids #photosynthesis #CentralPark #microscope #Microcystis #cell #mucus #Dolichospermum #heterocyst #microbiologist #microbiologyForKids #Aphanizomenon #ciliate #blueGreenAlgae #AmericanMuseumOfNaturalHistory #Genetics