When we think of algae, what often comes to mind is the green carpet found on coastal beaches. But what do we really know about these little-understood organisms? As research techniques advance, classifications are changing, and the word “algae” is increasingly becoming a generic term.
Our AFA Klamath is wild-harvested from Klamath Lake and tested batch by batch.
Our organic chlorella provides 77% of the daily reference intake of active vitamin B12.
Discover our organic spirulina: the whole microalga, rich in iron and protein, laboratory-tested.
TO UNDERSTAND IT PROPERLY, LET’S START WITH A LITTLE BIOLOGY!
All cells have 2 things in common: they are all bounded by a membrane that encloses their cytoplasm (the cell’s internal environment).
They are spread across many kingdoms. The main ones of interest to us here are:
- Plants
Plant cells can produce all the substances they need to survive from their environment (including vitamins, minerals, gases and light). They owe this ability to the chloroplast, a compartment specific to these cells where photosynthesis takes place. Plant cells are also protected by a tough wall that allows them to survive changing weather conditions (temperature, humidity). They have a nucleus containing their genetic information (DNA).
- Animals
In addition to their environment, animal cells are dependent on plant cells, and even on animal cells higher up the food chain, to obtain the energy they need to live. They must be fed in order to carry out their metabolism, growth and division. They also have a nucleus containing their DNA, but no cell wall.
- Bacteria
Bacterial cells, on the other hand, have no nucleus: their DNA floats freely in the cytoplasm.
Read also: Algae and the environment
ALGAE: A FAMILY APART
Algae are organisms generally found in wet environments, characterised by the absence of leaves, flowers, seeds and roots. They all contain chlorophyll and generally rely on photosynthesis to live. This ability makes them plants, but some are classified as bacteria.
This is the case with spirulina, which sits on the border between the three great kingdoms. Like a plant cell, it uses photosynthesis to survive; like an animal cell, it is not protected by a tough wall; and like a bacterium, it has no nucleus.
Read also: Algae and their many uses
This large family, at the crossroads of the kingdoms, is divided into 11 groups, 4 of which are the main ones:
- Cyanobacteria, historically known as blue-green algae.
They have no nucleus and are responsible for enriching our atmosphere with O2. They are thought to be the origin of all forms of life currently known on Earth. This group is made up of 2 species, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Spirulina platensis, maxima and major – in other words, AFA Klamath and spirulina.
- Red algae
This group includes between 4,000 and 6,000 species living in marine environments.
Porphyra umbilicalis, better known as nori, belongs to this group.
- Green algae
Most of them are green, but Dunaliella salina, which is particularly rich in beta-carotene, is a pink exception.
- Brown algae
They are found mainly in marine environments and are abundant in the world’s cold regions.
This group includes Ascophyllum nodosum (knotted wrack), Fucus vesiculosus, often simply called Fucus or bladderwrack, and Laminaria digitata, which belongs to the kelp family.
Depending on their colour, marine algae live at different depths on the seabed. Starting from the surface, you find green algae first, then brown algae and finally red algae.
Read also: Microalgae for space travel
MICROALGAE OR ALGAE?
It is simply a question of size… as in micrometres versus metres!!!
Algae can consist of a single cell (Chlorella pyrenoidosa, for example) or a cluster of thousands of cells (Laminaria digitata, among others). Their size therefore ranges from a few micrometres to several tens of metres.
The terminology of algae is constantly evolving thanks to ongoing research. The terms used today may no longer be in use in a few years’ time, but the quality of what algae provide remains unchanged, and their nutritional richness makes them natural food supplements of choice, whatever name scientists may choose to give them.
Read also: Algae and the vegan diet
