Image of Fissuricella filamenta (P. Arnold & Ahearn) Pore, D' Amatao & Ajello 1977

Description:

This photomicrograph depicted numbers of the colorless alga, Prototheca filamenta. This alga lacks the presence of plastids, and is therefore, achlorophyllous. Under microscopic analysis, Prototheca spp. resemble a fungal organism, and can therefore, be mistaken when attempting to identify these algae.

Similar to the members of the genus Chlorella, Prototheca spp. are heterotrophic, , which means these organisms require carbon in order to thrive, and obtains this nutrient through its consumption of organic substrates. This algal culture was prepared using a lactophenol cotton blue mount fixation technique.
Created: 1972