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Article: algae
- Article from:
- The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
CopyrightThe Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information)
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algae [plural of Lat.
alga
=seaweed], a large and diverse group of primarily aquatic plantlike organisms. These organisms were previously classified as a primitive subkingdom of the plant kingdom, the
thallophytes
(plants that lack true roots, stems, leaves, and flowers). More recently, most algae have been classified in the kingdom
Protista
or in another major group called the eukarya (or eukaryotes), which includes animals and higher plants. The algae have chlorophyll and can manufacture their own food through the process of
photosynthesis
. They are distributed worldwide in the sea, in freshwater, and in moist situations on land. Nearly all
seaweeds
are marine algae. Algae that ...