Anabaena sp., light micrograph

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SS2761947

SW0654

Light micrograph of Anabaena sp., a member of the Cyanophyta division - the blue-green algae, showing the arrangement of single cells into filaments. A single row of cells is termed a trichome; a trichome surrounded by its gelatinous sheath is known as a filament. Anabaena sp. has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, a feature associated with heterocysts; large, thick-walled, empty cells which divide a filament and thus provide a means of vegetative reproduction. They can form algal blooms, and produce neurotoxins which can cause illness.

Clouds Hill Imaging Ltd. / Science Source