
Dinoflagellate
The dinoflagellates are a classification subgroup of protista.They are a large group of flagellate eukaryotes that constitute the phylum Dinoflagellata. Most are marine plankton, but they also are common in freshwater habitats. Their populations are distributed depending on sea sur…
What is true about dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates are organisms that have one cell. These organisms are normally found in locations such as freshwater ponds, streams, and rivers. However, most of the dinoflagellates are found in the ocean. Many people refer to these organisms as algae and there are over 2000 known species of dinoflagellates.
What do dinoflagellates do with their two flagella?
What do dinoflagellates do with their two flagella? This flagellum allows the dinoflagellate to turn and maneuver, as well as providing forward movement. The combined action of these two flagella may cause the dinoflagellate to slowly turn on its axis as it moves through the water, and this is where the group gets its name.
What are some examples of dinoflagellates?
Some examples of dinoflagellates include Pfiesteria piscicida, Gonyaulax catenella, and Noctiluca scintillans. Some of the species are endosymbionts. This means they live within another organism ...
What are the characteristics of dinoflagellates?
What are the characteristics of dinoflagellates?
- They are planktonic.
- They are small.
- They are motile.
- Many are thecate, having an internal skeleton of cellulose-like plates.
- Their chromosomes are always condensed.
- Not all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic.

Which of the following characters are dinoflagellates?
Following are the main characters of Dinoflagellates: Dinoflagellates are basically unicellular motile and biflagellate, golden brown, photosynthetic protists. The predominant colour is golden brown but yellow, green, brown and even blue forms also occur due to change in the proportion of various pigments.
What is the structure of dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates possess two flagella, one (the transverse flagellum) may be contained in a groove-like structure around the equator of the organism (the cingulum), providing forward motion and spin to the dinoflagellate, the other (the longitudinal flagellum) trailing behind providing little propulsive force, mainly ...
What are two facts about dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates are single-cell organisms that can be found in streams, rivers, and freshwater ponds. 90% of all dinoflagellates are found living in the ocean. They are better referred to as algae and there are nearly 2000 known living species.
What is dinoflagellates in simple words?
dinoflagellate, (division Dinoflagellata), any of numerous one-celled aquatic organisms bearing two dissimilar flagella and having characteristics of both plants and animals. Most are marine, though some live in freshwater habitats.
Which of following best describes a dinoflagellate?
Dinoflagellates can best be described as tiny, single-celled organisms that have a long body with two arm-like flagella.
What is the importance of dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates are an important group of phytoplankton that produce oxygen in marine and freshwater. Some species form symbiotic relationships with larger animals, including corals (zooxanthellae), jellyfish, sea anemones, nudibranchs and others.
What color are dinoflagellates?
Most photosynthetic species contain chlorophylls a and c2, the carotenoid beta-carotene, and a group of xanthophylls that appears to be unique to dinoflagellates, typically peridinin, dinoxanthin, and diadinoxanthin. These pigments give many dinoflagellates their typical golden brown color.
Why do dinoflagellates glow?
The interaction of the luciferase with oxidized (oxygen-added) luciferin creates a byproduct, called oxyluciferin. More importantly, the chemical reaction creates light. Bioluminescent dinoflagellates produce light using a luciferin-luciferase reaction.
Are dinoflagellates asexual?
Dinoflagellates such as Alexandrium usually reproduce by asexual fission: One cell grows and then divides into two cells, then two into four, four into eight, and so on.
What are dinoflagellates and examples?
Dinophyce...CeratiumGoniodom...Syndiniop...Dinoflagellates/Lower classifications
Do dinoflagellates cause red tides?
What are red tides? At least three species of dinoflagellates and one diatom species are responsible for the toxic mess of red tides in the United States. These microscopic forms of algae produce toxins that can sicken humans and be fatal for marine animals.
Which is not a feature of dinoflagellates?
Answer. Explanation: The release toxins. Please mark me as brainliest.
Are dinoflagellates harmful to humans?
Dinoflagellates can be harmful to humans if they eat fish that have been contaminated with the toxins they release. It can cause vomiting, dizzines...
What is the function of dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates are sometimes endosymbionts. This means that they live within another organism and the two help each other thrive. It is a mutually...
How do I get rid of dinoflagellates in a reef tank?
To prevent dinoflagellates from overtaking the reef tank in the first place, be careful not to over-clean. Some ways to get rid of them are siphoni...
Are dinoflagellates animals or plants?
Dinoflagellates are not plants or animals; they are single celled organisms. They have plant-like characteristics such as photosynthesis and cellul...
What are dinoflagellates known for?
Dinoflagellates are known for causing red tide, bioluminescence, and releasing dangerous toxins in the water. There are thousands of different spec...
1. To what category does dinoflagellates belong; autotrophic or heterotrophic?
Dinoflagellates are tiny marine species. Just like the plants on the land, in the marine system, the primary producers are dinoflagellates. Their c...
2. Why are dinoflagellates considered toxic to humans?
Dinoflagellates are toxic to human beings. It is the neurological system of the body affected by the dinoflagellates. And the poisoning has happene...
3. Are dinoflagellates belonging to algae?
Dinoflagellates are a type of algae. They are the unicellular algae that have the ability for motion. And this is characterised by a pair of flagel...
4. What are the characteristics of dinoflagellates?
There are so many characteristics of dinoflagellates based on their structure and functionalities. They are mentioned pointwise below:Small in natu...
5. How do Dinoflagellates Reproduce?
We can call the reproduction of dinoflagellates an explosion. When it comes to the part of binary fission, it multiplies and thus the reproduction...
6. What is the Morphology of Dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates are unicellular beings and have two dissimilar flagella. One of them lies around the body in a groove while the other one extends f...
What class are dinoflagellates?
They are also known as golden brown photosynthetic protists. They belong to the class Dinophyceae. Dinophyceae is also known as Pyrrophyta. Some are present in freshwater and mostly all are present in marine forms. They have pigments present in their cells that are known as red, yellow, green, brown, or blue. Some characteristics are:
What are the two grooves in the Theca?
In their theca, they have two grooves. One is the sulcus and the other is the cingulum. The sulcus is longitudinal and the cingulum is a transverse groove.
Why does the sea glow at night?
Some of their species show bioluminescence. This means that they emit out the light. Due to their phosphorescence quality , the sea glows at night time. Red dinoflagellates cause the red sea.
Is a biflagellate a motile organism?
They are unicellular organisms. They are motile in nature and are biflagellate. Though some of their forms are non-motile in nature.
Why do dinoflagellates multiply?
Dinoflagellates sometimes multiply rapidly, resulting in population explosions or blooms. Bloom may contain more than a million cells per ml of water. Rapid multiplication is due to the presence of abundant nutrient present in the water. This might be due to human activities or other natural reasons.
What organelle does a dinoflagellate have?
The cell of dinoflagellates has all common membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria, Golgi bodies, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and food vacuoles. The nucleus of the dinoflagellates is called dinokaryon.
What are some examples of bioluminescent dinoflagellate?
Examples of the ecosystem having bioluminescent dinoflagellate are: 3 of the 5 bioluminescent bays are present in Puerto Rico, Montego Bay in Jamaica and Indian river Lagoon in Central Florida.
What are the two types of protists that make up the Dinoflagellate?
Dinoflagellates . Dinoflagellates are unicellular protists comprising two flagella. Dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but also found in freshwater habitats. Photosynthetic dinoflagellates form one of the largest group of eukaryotic algae apart from diatoms. Dinoflagellates have characteristics of both plants and animals.
What supergroup are dinoflagellates in?
Dinoflagellates are kept in the supergroup Chromalveolata, they seem to have originated from the secondary symbiosis of red algae. The group Alveolata is characterised by the presence of similar ribosomal DNA sequence and alveoli, which is a flattened vesicle present inside the plasma membrane.
What species of dinoflagellates cause red tide?
The species of dinoflagellates causing red tide are: Karenia brevis causing red tide in the Gulf of Mexico produces a neurotoxin called brevetoxin. Alexendrium fundyense is responsible for the red tide in the Gulf of Maine, produces a toxin named saxitoxin. Pfiesteria is a colourless dinoflagellate causing the toxic bloom.
What is the flash of light that a dinoflagellate emits?
Blooms of dinoflagellates emit short flashes of light when disturbed mechanically by waves, ships or swimming. This appears as a bluish flicker in the ocean water at night.
What is a dinoflagellate?
Neither plant nor animal, dinoflagellates are unicellular protists; most exhibit the following characteristics:
Why is the water in the Dinoflagellate red tide brown?
For dinoflagellate red tides, the water is discolored red or brown due to as high as 20 million cells per liter.
What are the neurotoxins in shellfish?
There are several types of neurotoxins produced by dinoflagellates. These chemicals may affect nerve action by interfering with the movement of ions across cell membranes, thus affecting muscle activity. The toxin saxitoxin, produced by Gonyaulax off the west coast of North America, and Alexandrium off the northeast coast, accumulates in shellfish. Eating contaminated shellfish causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). The worst cases of PSP result in respiratory failure and death within 12 hours. Another toxin that accumulates in shellfish is brevetoxin, produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. Brevetoxin is unique in that it becomes aerosolized when the dinoflagellates end up in the surf zone and then blows onto the beach causing respiratory irritation in humans. If you are on a beach on the Gulf coast of Florida and notice asthma-like breathing symptoms, chances are you are experiencing toxicity from a Karenia bloom. A toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Dinophysis causes diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), which results in digestive upset but which is not fatal. Ciguatera is another form of dinoflagellate toxicity in tropical areas caused by eating fish contaminated by toxins of the dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus.
What are dinoflagellates made of?
A large segment of dinoflagellates are photosynthetic and comprise pigments like carotenoids, xanthophyll, chlorophyll A and C. Dinoflagellates are mostly marine organisms but are also found in freshwater. Notably, salinity, the temperature of the sea surface and nutrients tend to influence their reproductive rate.
What is the nucleus of a dinoflagellate?
Dinoflagellates’ nucleus is known as dikaryon, and its nucleus membrane has a chromosome.
What are the effects of dinoflagellates bloom?
The dinoflagellates bloom release toxins which are considered to be extremely poisonous to human beings. For instance, when exposed to it, the virus can cause neurological disorder, possible estuarine associated syndrome, ciguatera fish poisoning, etc.
How many species of dinoflagellates are there?
Notably, there are over 4500 species of dinoflagellates, half of which tend to be autotrophs. On the other hand, the rest are mostly autotrophs which avail nutrients through phagocytosis. Furthermore, they are diverse in their form and comprise a significant share of the bioluminescent dinoflagellates.
What type of light does a dinoflagellate emit?
A large segment of dinoflagellates is bioluminescent and tend to emit blue-green light.
How many organisms can dinoflagellate live in a litre of water?
Fun Fact: Under ideal conditions, the population of dinoflagellates may reach as much as 60 million organisms for every litre of water.
What is bioluminescence in dinoflagellates?
Bioluminescence is a characteristic feature in over 18 genera of dinoflagellates. The feature is attributed to a chemical reaction that takes place in the organisms’ body.
How big are dinoflagellates?
Dinoflagellates range in size from about 5 to 2,000 micrometres (0.0002 to 0.08 inch). Most are microscopic, but some form visible colonies. Nutrition among dinoflagellates is autotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixed; some species are parasitic or commensal.
What is a photosynthetic dinoflagellate?
Photosynthetic dinoflagellates have yellowish or brownish plastids (pigment-containing bodies) and may store food in the form of starches, starchlike compounds, or oils. The dinoflagellate Ceratium tripos (magnified). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.
What is the groove of a dinoflagellate cell?
The dinoflagellate cell is banded by a median or coiled groove, the annulus, which contains a flagellum. A longitudinal groove, the sulcus, extends from the annulus posteriorly to the point at which a second flagellum is attached. The nuclei of dinoflagellates are larger than those of other eukaryotes. So-called armoured dinoflagellates are covered with celluloseplates, which may have long spiny extensions; some species lacking armour have a thin pellicle (protective layer). Photosynthetic dinoflagellates have yellowish or brownish plastids (pigment-containing bodies) and may store food in the form of starches, starchlike compounds, or oils.
What is sea sparkle?
A species of dinoflagellate known as Noctiluca scintillans, commonly called sea sparkle, is a type of algae that can aggregate into an algal bloom, producing substances that are potentially toxic to marine life.
What are the genera of Dinoflagellate?
For additional information on specific dinoflagellate genera, seeCeratium, Gonyaulax, Gymnodinium, Noctiluca, and Peridinium.
Which cell is banded by a median or coiled groove, the annulus, which contains a?
Douglas P. Wilson. The dinoflagellate cell is banded by a median or coiled groove, the annulus, which contains a flagellum. A longitudinal groove, the sulcus, extends from the annulus posteriorly to the point at which a second flagellum is attached. The nuclei of dinoflagellates are larger than those of other eukaryotes.
Do dinoflagellates live in freshwater?
Most are marine, though some live in freshwater habitats. The group is an important component of phytoplankton in all but the colder seas and is an important link in the food chain. Dinoflagellates also produce some of the bioluminescence sometimes seen in the sea.
What are some examples of dinoflagellates?
Examples of dinoflagellates include Alexandrium , Gonyaulax , Gymnodinium or Lingulodinium polyedrum .
What are the different types of dinoflagellates?
The most representative classes of dinoflagellates are: 1 Ello Biopsea : marine and freshwater dinoflagellates mainly ectoparasites of crustaceans. 2 Oxyrrhea : only includes the genus Oxyrrhis . They are dinoflagellates fagotrofos that exceptionally among dinoflagellates do not present cingulate or sulcus. 3 Syndiniophyceae : exclusively endoparasitic dinoflagellates of marine animals and intracellular parasites of protozoa. They do not have teak and its nucleus does not present the characteristics of a dinocarion. 4 Dinophyceae : called dinophyceae, corresponds to the typical photosynthetic dinoflagellates. Some dinophyceae form colonies and others are ectoparasites that can affect protozoa, algae, invertebrates and fish. 5 Noctis Lucis Phyceae : contains the largest dinoflagellates, some can reach 2 mm. Some are heterotrophic and feed on plankton and others include green algae inside them as photosynthetic symbionts.
How many membranes does a photosynthetic dinoflagellate have?
Among the internal structures, photosynthetic plastids of photosynthetic dinoflagellates stand out. These chloroplasts have three membranes, suggesting that they were acquired by endosymbiosis with unicellular algae .
What is the name of the zygote that forms when two dinoflagellates are in contact with each?
When conditions become critical for survival, for example due to lack of food, two dinoflagellates can fuse to form a special zygote called plano zigoto , which remains mobile, until it loses the flagella and forms the hypnozigote , a form of resistance with a tougher teak that is deposited in the benthos and aquatic funds.
How many flagella are there in a dinoflagellate?
Dinoflagellates are unicellular organisms with two flagella . The two flagella leave the cell through the ventral part, but one of them, the transverse flagellum , is disposed surrounding the cell, while the other, the longitudinal flagellum , protrudes from the cell like a typical flagellum.
When was the Dinoflagellate first described?
The first dinoflagellate was described in 1753 by Henry Baker.
Which dinoflagellate has a large pseudopod that captures the prey and digests it extracellular?
Other heterotrophic dinoflagellates, such as Protoperidinium species , have a large pseudopod called pallium that captures the prey and digests it extracellularly. There are also some that emit extensible peduncles to capture the prey.
