BIOCHEM TOPIC Photosynthesis Determination of Algae QUESTION

BIOCHEM

TOPIC: Photosynthesis Determination of Algae

QUESTION: Which of the 3 algal species would be an ideal candidate for making a bioreactor and WHY? Chlorella (green algae), Gymnodinium (brown algae/dinoflagellate), or Porphyridium (red algae).

Solution

An algal bioreactor is a reator that cultivates algae, either for biomass, or for value added products.One of the main criteria that determines the efficiency of a bioreactor is its ability to produce the desired biomass. The biomass is usually in the form of increase in algal cells. Algae increase their biomass by fixing carbon dioxide into various macronutrients, in the presence of sunlight. Therefore, they are essentially performing photosynthesis. Therefore, the most important criteria that would determine the type of algae that would be employed in an algal bioreacor would be one that can perform photosynthesis effectively.

Considering the options that are given, we can make the following observations-

Green Algae has high amount of chlorophyll, and therefore can photosynthesize more efficiently as compared to the other two types.
Brown Algae and Red Algae contain other pigments apart from chlorophyll. These pigments have their own commercial value. However, these algae cannot photosynthesize as effectively as green algae.

Considering the requirements of a bioreactor, Green algae would therefore be a more apt choice.