Blue green algae - plant or protozoa?

[geonyzl]

I have encountered in a book about t the blue-green algae, some books consisdered it as a plant some would say it is a protozoan. What is the actual group of these organism? I'm just totally confused because most of the references that had read didn't explained it thoroughly. Is there a concrete explaination to that? Eventhough I finished that topic in a class 8 years ago but that topic hunts me.

[victor]

well...see this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-green_algae

Hope it helps

[baikuza]

as i know green algae/chlorophyta
is placed in eukarya domain at 3 domain system.... clasified in plant...
but not absolutely plant....
because in the 8-kingdom system it clasified in plant ...
but in 5-kingdom system it is protista....

oh, well... it depend from which system you look..
3 domain?8-kingdom? or 5-kingdom?...

[Poison]

YOu can call them "plant". But not a member of "Plantae".

[MrMistery]

what? people!!! blue-green algae is an old name for cyanobacteria, which fall under eubacteria!!

[baikuza]

dear Mr. Mistery...
i said in the 5-kingdom system it is classified into protista.
so and it is green algae....not the blue algae....
did not i?

[victor]

I think we're discussing blue-green algae which is now termed as cyanobacteria which is classified under the kingdom of bacteria even though the botanical systematics still classify blue-green algae below kingdom plantae.

Here, check this out..

The cyanobacteria (Cyanophyta, blue-green algae) are also named under the Botanical Code, and the dual nomenclature system causes considerable confusion. This note calls for a more intense involvement of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), its Judicial Commission and its Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Photosynthetic Prokaryotes in the nomenclature of the cyanobacteria under the Bacteriological Code.

For green algae (chlorophyta), it's classified under kingdom plantae.

[mkwaje]

This is getting confusing... There are three domains of life..

Eukarya -- plants, animals, protozoa, fungi
Eubacteria -- true or typical bacteria
Archaea -- ancient bacteria

Blue green algae (BGA) (this term is not used anymore) or cyanobacteria are classified under domain eubacteria.

[Dr.Stein]

Classification is open, means that we cannot say this is wrong, that is right, this is the best, ignore the rest. We can refer to the one we like (usually people take the latest one) as long as we mention the version and we have a reason why choosing that.

[Plymouth John]

Blue green algae (BGA) or cyanobacteria have a very different morphology and chemistry than the true bacteria; hence they are considered under the Archaea. Also included in this group are the extremophiles (e.g. halophiles and thermophiles) which are sometimes termed as cyanobacteria.

The cyanobacteria branch within the Bacteria, or Eubacteria. They are autotrophic and phototrophic prokaryotes. They are not members of the Archaea, which constitutes a different lineage from the Bacteria.

[Linn]

Last I know is for now classed as true bacteria, because it has prokaryotic cells, But, as Dr Stein brought out classification is open. Reason being that cyanobacteria have chlorophyll and produce oxygen, and have pigments called phycobilins just like plants. They are the only "bacteria " that fix nitrogen and make oxygen, which is really unique

So really cyanobacteria does act like a bacteria-plant of sorts. so as soon as the botany scientists figure it out we will have new class of organism perhaps.

[geonyzl]

So if we are going to connect these phyla. These organisms would link the bacterial world to the plant world. The blue green algae would be the bridge between phyla because these are the organisms that have the characteristics of a bacteria and at the same time with the plant?:)