Chara Overview Occurrence, Features, Reproduction

 Chara

Chara: Overview of Occurrence, Features, Reproduction

Chara is also known as stone-worts.  Chara is a charophyte green algae in the family Characeae. They are multicellular and superficially resemble land plants because of stem-like and leaf-like structures. They are found in freshwater, particularly in limestone areas throughout the northern temperate zone, where they grow submerged, and attached to the muddy bottom. They prefer less oxygenated and hard water and are not found in waters where mosquito larvae are present.

Chara is found mostly in hard fresh water, rich in organic matter, and calcium, and deficient in oxygen. 

Chara Overview on Occurrence, Features, Reproduction 

Habitat and species Chara 

Chara is a freshwater, green alga set up submerged in shallow water ponds, tanks, lakes, and slow-handling water.C. Baltica is set up growing in brackish water and C. Fragilis is set up in hot springs. Chara is set up substantially in hard fresh water, rich in organic matter, and calcium, and deficient in oxygen. Chara shops are frequently crusted with calcium carbonate and hence are generally called gravestone-wort. Chara frequently emits a disagreeable onion-like odor due to the presence of sulfur composites.C. hatei grows running on the soil C. nuda and C. groves are set up on mountains, C. wallichii and. liydropitys are set up in plains. 

 

 In India, Chara is represented by about 30 species of which common Indian species are 

C. zeylanica, C. braunii, C. gracilis, C. hatei and Csgymnoptiyetc. 

 

 Structure of Chara 

 The thallus of Chara is fanned, multicellular, and macroscopic. The thallus is typically 20- 30 cm. in height but frequently may be over 90 cm to l m. Some species like C. hatei are small and maybe 2- 3 cm. long. The shops in appearance act Equisetum hence Chara is generally called a submarine horsetail. The thallus is substantially discerned into rhizoids and the main axis. Chara grows submerged in fresh water and upon muddy or flaxen bottoms of pools and ponds, or in limestone aqueducts. Certain species have the capacity of pouring calcium carbonate from the water and covering themselves with calcareous layers. Clear hard water is suitable for their growth. The mature factory is amended with CaCO3. thus, they're called gravestone worst. 

 The factory body or structure of chara is as follows:

 Thallus 

The factory body is thallus. The factory attains a height of 20- 30 cm. It has the following discreteness. 

 

 Rhizoids 

 The erect fanned attached to the substratum using rhizoids. 

 Branches 

 The thallus has long slender upright branches. The axis is discerned into knots and internodes. From each knot arise the following four types of accessories, 

Branchlets Each knot bears a spiral of branches, which has limited growth. These are called branchlets. 

 

The life cycle of chara

 Long Branches There are one or two branches of unlimited may also be present in each knot. They arise independently at the aged bumps of the main axis. They are frequently called axillary branches. The axillary branch continues the growth of the thallus. Stipuloids These are unicellular outgrowth that arises from the rudimentary knot of each branch. They're generally two in number. 

Cortex In some species, the intermodal cells are covered by a jacket of vertically stretched narrow cells, the cortex in similar species is called corticated. 

 

 Cell Structure of Chara 

 youthful cells are always-nucleated structures without conspicuous vacuoles. In the mature cells, the vacuole may be developed and may come multinucleated due to amitosis. There are numerous small ellipsoidal chloroplasts arranged longitudinally in the supplemental portion of the cytoplasm. The Cell wall of the internodal cell is saturated with silica and calcium carbonate. The reserve food material is bounced and the cytoplasm shows characteristic cyclic movement. 

 Growth of the Thallus 

 The growth of the thallus is by the dome-shaped apical cell which cuts off derivations at its posterior face Each outgrowth undergoes a transverse division to produce two son cells. The upper cell acts as the nodal original and the lower as the internodal original. The internodal original elongates numerous times its original length and matures to form the internode of the axis. The nodal original divides by perpendicular divisions cutting each other to produce two central cells girdled by 6- 20 supplemental cells. Each supplemental cell cuts off apical cells of branches of limited growth. 

Chara reproduction

Chara reproduces vegetatively or sexually. Vegetative reproduction takes place by tubers, amylum stars, and secondary protonemata. The sex organs are a multicellular and jacketed globule or antheridium (male) and nucule or archegonium (female). The antheridia and archegonia may occur on separate plants (dioecy), together on the same plant (conjoined monoicy), or separately on the same plant (sejoined monoicy). After fertilization, the zygote develops into an oospore.