Seaweed which kingdom

Seaweed is photosynthetic, so it needs sunlight. It converts sunlight to energy through photosynthesis, which uses chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Is dried seaweed good for you? The fiber can help you feel full on very few calories," she says. It's chock-full of vitamins and minerals. What does seaweed taste like? Seaweed can be briny and salty. Its texture can range from rubbery to crispy and crunchy. It's naturally high in glutamic acid, which is a flavoring agent most notably found in monosodium glutamate MSG and responsible for its umami taste.

Do fish eat seaweed? Herbivorous marine fish such as tangs and surgeonfish typically feed on seaweeds. So, yes, you can feed some fish seaweed. Most fish, however don't eat seaweed so you can't feed it to them. Also, sharks, dolphins, whales, penguins, barracudas, stingrays, manta rays and seals don't eat seaweed.

Is seaweed a living thing? The seaweed cells make use of several types of starch-like carbohydrates for internal energy storage; again, these vary according to species. For example, the brown algae contain laminarin, which is of industrial importance as it can be fermented to make alcohol.

Norwegian winged kelp Alaria esculenta is appearing on the menus of top restaurants. Soluble dietary fiber, which is situated in between the seaweed cells and binds them together, constitutes up to 50 percent of the organism. Composed of three distinct groups of carbohydrates, namely, agar, carrageenan, and alginate, fiber can absorb water in the human stomach and intestines and form gelatinous substances that aid in the digestive process.

Insoluble dietary fiber derived from the stiff cell walls of the seaweeds is present in lesser quantities, typically amounting to between 2 percent and 8 percent of the dry weight.

Cellulose is found in all three types of algae and xylan another type of complex carbohydrate in the red and green ones. The primary mineral components in seaweeds are iodine, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, and chlorine. Added to these are many important trace elements such as zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, molybdenum, and chromium.

The mineral composition, especially, varies significantly from one seaweed species to another. Konbu contains more than —1, times as much iodine as nori.

On average, dulse—a widely eaten red seaweed—is the poorest choice in terms of mineral and vitamin content but, on the other hand, it is far richer in potassium salts than in sodium salts.

In general, marine algae are a much better source of iron than foods such as spinach and egg yolks. Seaweeds contain iodine, although the exact quantities again vary greatly by species. The iodine content is dependent on where the seaweed grew and how it has been handled after harvest. Furthermore, the iodine is not evenly distributed, being most abundant in the growing parts and least plentiful in the blades. In particular, the brown seaweeds contain large amounts of iodine.

It is not known for certain why brown seaweeds contain so much iodine, but this is probably linked to their capacity for rapid growth. Iodide was found to act as the main antioxidant for this tissue.

In addition, the study showed that the action of iodide was not accompanied by an accumulation of organically bound iodine. The history of the discovery of iodine as an element actually begins with seaweeds. He noticed that his chemical experiments with the seaweed ash gave rise to a violet-colored vapor that condensed as crystals on his copper vessels and, unfortunately, caused them to corrode.

Courtois convinced first his French, and later his English, fellow chemists that his discovery had important dimensions. Their work then rapidly led to the identification of the substance that was the source of the vapors. It turned out to be a previously unknown element and, as the color violet is called iodes in Greek, the new element was given the name iodine. Terrestrial plants are a poor source of iodine, which can result in iodine deficiency in vegetarians and vegans.

The accidental discovery of iodine in seaweeds is a wonderful example of how research and an open mind on the part of the researcher can lead to results that have a major significance for the economy and for human health. Despite their importance to human diet, seaweeds have often been regarded with disdain. That unpleasant smell is due to a number of gases that are not dangerous, but are the source of odors that we consider offensive.

In a bowl mix together the oats, seeds, seaweeds, salt, and baking powder. Add water and mix well until the dough becomes sticky. Divide the dough into two and place one part on a piece of baking paper.

On top of the dough add another piece of baking paper and roll the dough out as thinly as possible between the two. With a knife or pizza wheel cut the top baking paper and divide the dough into squares without cutting through the bottom paper.

Remove the top baking paper and place the dough and the bottom paper on a baking sheet. Repeat the procedure with the other part of the dough. After cooling a few minutes, the crispbread can be broken along the scored lines.

One of the chief culprits is a chemical substance, dimethylsulfoniopropionate DMSP , which is found in red and green algae, where it helps regulate the osmotic balance of the cell in relation to the surrounding salt water. Some researchers think that DMSP is an important antioxidant, which provides support for the physiological functions of the algae.

DMSP accumulates in those animals in the food chain that feed on seaweeds. It is formed when DMSP is oxidized in the atmosphere or when it is degraded by bacterial action. It can also be released in the course of food preparation when fresh fish and shellfish are heated. When DMS is released into the atmosphere, it, in turn, is oxidized to form particulate aerosol substances. These can cause condensation of water vapor, which brings about cloud formation and thereby affects the weather.

When brown algae and some types of red algae decay, they can cause the formation of another sulfurous gas, methyl mercaptan. This is the gas that smells like rotten cabbage and is often added to natural gas in order to alert us to its presence. Conversely, fresh seaweeds, much like a delightfully aromatic ocean breeze, have a characteristic, agreeable smell.

In both cases this is due to substances called bromophenols, which the seaweeds synthesize. They are released into the air and accumulate in ocean-dwelling fish and shellfish through their food intake. Because there are no bromophenols in fresh water, fish that live in lakes and streams lack the same pleasant odor and taste as their saltwater cousins. That is yet one more way that seaweeds contribute agreeably and meaningfully to the human diet. Mouritsen, published by the University of Chicago Press.

This species is one of the fastest growing species in the world, and under perfect conditions, it has been known to grow up to two feet 60 cm in a single day. Once and individual giant kelp reaches the sea surface, it continues to grow horizontally, floating in large mats that shade the water column and sea floor below.

In order to remain upright, each giant kelp blade leaf includes a gas-filled pod that floats. Several individuals growing together can create dense forests that are an important ecosystem in temperate, coastal areas where they live.

Several species eat giant kelp, and fluctuating populations of purple sea urchins are known to play a role in kelp forest formation and destruction.

Several species of sharks, bony fishes, lobsters, squids, and other invertebrates are known to live in or near kelp forests. Humans use giant kelp for food and use chemicals derived from this species as components in several other products. Those that belong to the Kingdom Plantae are, by defitinition, plants; the others, strictly speaking, are not. However, most people think of "plants" as organisms with roots, stems and leaves and include liverworts, mosses, ferns, flowering plants including trees.

Neither of these terms are applicable to all algae in a phylogenetic sense. Mostly used in general textbooks without much thought. Over 50, have been described to date.

More information from AlgaeBase. About 12, have been described to date over 7, red algae; more than 2, phaeophytes; some 1, greens; and perhaps 1, blue-greens. The diatoms are probably the largest group of algae with well over 25, species described to date.

There are about 35, species of freshwater and terrestrial algae, but many more remain to be described. By far the largest diversity is in diatoms, desmids, green and blue-green algae.