Lyngbya
Encyclopedia
Lyngbya is a genus
of cyanobacteria, unicellular autotroph
s that form the basis of the oceanic food chain
.
Lyngbya form long unbranching filaments inside a rigid mucilage sheath. Sheaths may form tangles or mats, intermixed with other phytoplankton species. Lyngbya reproduce asexually, their filaments break apart and each cell forms a new filament.
Some Lyngbya cause the human skin irritation called seaweed dermatitis
.
Some Lyngbya species can also temporarily monopolize aquatic ecosystems when they form dense floating mats in the water.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of cyanobacteria, unicellular autotroph
Autotroph
An autotroph, or producer, is an organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions . They are the producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in water...
s that form the basis of the oceanic food chain
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
.
Lyngbya form long unbranching filaments inside a rigid mucilage sheath. Sheaths may form tangles or mats, intermixed with other phytoplankton species. Lyngbya reproduce asexually, their filaments break apart and each cell forms a new filament.
Some Lyngbya cause the human skin irritation called seaweed dermatitis
Seaweed dermatitis
Seaweed dermatitis is a cutaneous condition characterized by inflammation of the skin caused by marine alga, specifically Lyngbya majuscula....
.
Some Lyngbya species can also temporarily monopolize aquatic ecosystems when they form dense floating mats in the water.