List and discuss each type of algae. (Division Rhodophyta: Red Algae, Division Phaeophyta: Brown Algae, Division Chlorophyta: Green Algae)

Division Rhodophyta: Red Algae This type of algae contains single-celled forms as well as plants that grow as filaments, branching structures and broad flat plates or ruffles. All of this type of algae lives attached to a surface such as a rock, coral reef, animal shell or larger algae. In red algae, no flagellated cells occur. Red algae have chlorophyll a and phycobilins and carotenoids are its accessory pigments. It stores food with a starch-like …

…This type of algae appears to have the same evolutionary line as land plants. Both land plants and green algae contain chlorophylls a and b and they both have many carotenoids and store their food as starch. Green algae show several lines that show evolutionary trends from unicellular to multicellular. One trend is in sexual reproduction; some forms have similar gametes that join at fertilization and some have large, stationary eggs and small, mobile sperm.