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Glite Dictionary
microalga

microalga

8.1
A very small living thing like a water plant that you can only see with a microscope
  • noun
  • /ˌmaɪkroʊˈælɡə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : microalga
  • The researchers discovered a new species of microalga that thrives in extreme conditions.

Examples

  • Adult populations of these bivalves suffer severe mortality from feeding on high concentrations of the toxic microalga.

    Academic text (2000)

  • But when a fungus establishes a symbiosis with a microalga, the usual spatial relationship of fungus to food source is turned inside out.

    Academic text (2001)

  • And that tall graph there shows what microalgae can contribute.

  • Scientists study microalga to understand their role in freshwater and marine environments.

  • A healthy population of microalga is essential for maintaining the clarity of water bodies.

Synonyms

alga
vsmicroalga
66 5.8

A simple green living thing like seaweed that lives in water and makes food from light

is the microscopic subset found mainly in freshwater or marine environments

How Big

kelp
19 4.9
seaweed
41 1.0
macroalga
  • Specialized
7.5
microalga
  • Specialized
8.1

Surface Forms

microalga singular
microalgae plural

Morphology

microalga = alga (transparent) = micro + alga

The meaning is directly compositional: 'micro-' means very small and 'alga' names the organism.

Etymology

The word microalga breaks into micro- meaning 'small' and alga meaning 'seaweed' or 'water plant', and you see micro- in common words like microscope and microphone. So a microalga is a very small seaweed-like plant that lives in ponds or the sea.