Haematococcus Pluvialis is a single cell spherical algae. It is a well known species for its high content of the very strong antioxidant astaxanthin. This antioxidant has anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing effects, goes against dyspepsia, promotes endurance and muscle recovery and helps prevent eyestrain. (If interested, there is a lot of extra info on the internet)
It is also used as a pigment, for example, to give farmed salmon a red color.
They occur in 3 forms:
There is an active form where the green photosynthetic chloroplast is at a distance from the cell wall. This form has 2 flagellae used for swimming.
The next stage starts when conditions become less favorable (bright light, high salinity, and low availability of nutrients). The cell builds up large amounts of the red carotenoid pigment astaxanthin and it becomes sedentary. The algae forms a cyst.
In the last stage the entire cell becomes filled with astaxanthin.
When conditions become more favorable the two flagellae reappear, the astaxanthin disappears and
the cell becomes a mobile green alga again.
It is also used as a pigment, for example, to give farmed salmon a red color.
They occur in 3 forms:
There is an active form where the green photosynthetic chloroplast is at a distance from the cell wall. This form has 2 flagellae used for swimming.
The next stage starts when conditions become less favorable (bright light, high salinity, and low availability of nutrients). The cell builds up large amounts of the red carotenoid pigment astaxanthin and it becomes sedentary. The algae forms a cyst.
In the last stage the entire cell becomes filled with astaxanthin.
When conditions become more favorable the two flagellae reappear, the astaxanthin disappears and
the cell becomes a mobile green alga again.
Picture below:
Haematococcus Pluvialis in it's first stage, you can clearly see the 2 flagellae. (The camera made it a bit more reddish than it actually was)
Haematococcus Pluvialis in it's first stage, you can clearly see the 2 flagellae. (The camera made it a bit more reddish than it actually was)
Picture below: going to the 2th stage. Building up more red pigment, and the flagellae are just gone.
Picture below: The 2th stage, it forms a cyst, and builds up more red pigment and there are no flagellae
Picture below: This one is in the last stage. The entire cell is filled with astaxanthin.