BISC 120Lg Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, Diatomaceous Earth, Brown Algae
Document Summary
Bisc 120: general biology: organismal biology and evolution - lecture 8: protists. There will be a short answer question on endosymbiosis on the second midterm. Though energetically expensive, it is suspected that dinoflagellates produce these toxins in order to inhibit or kill other phytoplankton to prevent competition for food and resources. Research is still trying to understand the metabolic. Know the sicknesses that dinoflagellates can cause: psp and dsp pathways for toxinsstill a big mystery. Remember that low conc. in small organisms will accumulate that toxin and then it becomes more concentrated as it goes up the food chain- bioaccumulation. Marine biology institutes will monitor ecosystem damage in order to protect it. Photosynthetic- they have this pigment in order to absorb light energy. Unicellular algae with a unique two-part, glass-like wall of hydrated silica called a test. The test becomes part of the ocean floor as sedimentary rock. Play an important role in the biological carbon pump.
