Glossary of terms

algae - mostly aquatic organisms that are usually photosynthetic and typically smaller and less complex than land plants

amoeba - a kind of simple eukaryotic organism that typically moves by extending lobes of its cytoplasm

assay - a measurement

autotrophic- the ability to produce organic food without eating other organisms

bacterioplankton - bacteria that float or swim in the water

biodiversity - the total numbers of kinds of organisms on earth

bloom - a conspicuous growth of microscopic algae

chitin - a carbohydrate that contains nitrogen

chlorophyll - a green pigment found in chloroplasts that converts solar energy to chemical energy

chloroplast - a chlorophyll containing plastid

cilia - a short thread-like structure useful in swimming

copepod - a small animal that lives in water

cryptomonads - single-celled flagellate algae that have brown, red, or blue-green photosynthetic pigments in addition to chlorophyll

cyanobacteria - blue-green pigmented bacteria

desmids - single-celled or filamentous green algae that are abundant in water of low mineral content

diatoms - single-celled or colonial algae that have glass cell walls and are usually colored golden brown

dinoflagellates - mostly single-celled, often photosynthetic algae that live in fresh and marine waters

ecologists - people who study how organisms interact with their environments

endosymbiosis - the condition in which organism lives within the cells or body or another

euglenoid flagellates - single-celled, flagella-bearing organisms that have that have green plastids or no chloroplasts

eukaryote - an organism that contains a membrane closed nucleus and other cell compartments

exoskeleton - a hard encasement on the surface of an animal such as an insect

flagella - long cell extensions that function in swimming

food chain - the pathway along which food is transferred from food producers to food consumers

green algae - algae that have chloroplasts that are usually colored green

heterotrophic - obtaining organic food by eating other organisms or their by-products

minerals - substances that are required by organisms for growth, reproduction, and metabolism. Examples include phosphate and nitrate which algae absorb from the water.

plastid - structures within cells that perform photosynthesis or store starch

photosynthetic pigments - colored molecules that absorb light energy and transform it into chemical energy

phytoplankton - algae that swim or float in water

plankton - organisms that swim or float in water

plankton net - a cone-shaped net with small mesh that is used to filter tiny animals, algae and protozoa from water

prokaryote - an organism that lacks a membrane enclosed nucleus

protoplankton - single-celled or colonial protozoa that swim or float in water

protozoa - a single-celled or colonial organism that lives primarily by ingesting food

scanning electron microscope - a microscope that uses electrons to produce an image of the surface of small structures

sewage effluent - mineral nutrient rich water from sewer systems

symbiosis - living together

toxin - a chemical compound that is harmful to cells or organisms

zooplankton - tiny animals that swim or float in water