Zooxanthellae
Another case of symbiosis is the one between the mollusc Tridacna, which lives on the reefs of the Asian Pacific region, and the zooxanthellae. The latter live on the edge of the coating of the mollusc, which contains “hyaline bodies”, i.e. transparent bodies, that make it easier for light to penetrate; the zooxanthellae crowd around these bodies to perform the photosynthesis. The zooxanthellae are symbionts, also of Coelenterata, and reproduce through eggs. In the Mediterranean Sea, they live only in some sea anemones, but in the Tropical seas the symbionts live in very many species of Coelenterata, especially in the Madreporaria of the reefs. The polyp of the madrepores contains these algae that give it its brown-reddish colour. The algae supply the polyp with energy in the form of sugars and amino acids, produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (which could form carbonic acid and damage the calcareous skeleton of the polyps). In return, the polyps offer protection to these small algae. Every square centimetre of a madrepore contains approximately one million algae sp. Zooxanthellae.
Special reports
-
10 February 2020
Coral turns pale!
The coral reef is one of the ecosystems with the richest biodiversity...
10 October 2022
Spider lullaby
There are spiders that weave a classic web, that one we all know, to catch prey. There are others who…
-
19 September 2022
Double blow to dinosaurs
The Main Asteroid Belt is between Mars and Jupiter, an enormous ring consisting of millions of large and small rocks…
24 May 2022
Amphibians in peril
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warns: the extinction rate of amphibians is about 200 times greater than…
8 March 2022
8 March. We remember Rosalind Franklin, the great female DNA scientist.
DNA was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss biochemist in 1869. It was a brilliant, but not complicated operation:…
-
27 February 2022
In search of the riders of icebergs
International Polar Bear Day, set up by Polar Bears International, a non-profit organisation, was held on 27 February. The aim…
12 February 2022
A naturalist’s voyage around the world
Charles Darwin was just 22 years old when he set sail on board HMS Beagle...
18 December 2021
The Christmas Star Tradition
Let's discover together stories and legends about the Christmas Star...
-
10 February 2020
Coral turns pale!
The coral reef is one of the ecosystems with the richest biodiversity...
-
10 October 2022
Spider lullaby
There are spiders that weave a classic web, that one we all know, to catch prey. There are others who…
19 September 2022
Double blow to dinosaurs
The Main Asteroid Belt is between Mars and Jupiter, an enormous ring consisting of millions of large and small rocks…
-
24 May 2022
Amphibians in peril
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warns: the extinction rate of amphibians is about 200 times greater than…
8 March 2022
8 March. We remember Rosalind Franklin, the great female DNA scientist.
DNA was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss biochemist in 1869. It was a brilliant, but not complicated operation:…
-
10 February 2020
Coral turns pale!
The coral reef is one of the ecosystems with the richest biodiversity...
-
10 October 2022
Spider lullaby
There are spiders that weave a classic web, that one we all know, to catch prey. There are others who…
From the Multimedia section
Facts
-
Bacteria as Sherlock Holmes
A drop of blood, a fragment of skin or a hair found on the scene of a crime can supply…
-
Down-pouring bacteria
It sounds incredible, but recent researches have found that bacteria can cause some atmospheric phenomena...
-
Bio-luminescence
Many sea animals, including a lot of fish and molluscs that live in the dark in the ocean depths...
Bread and cheese, wine or beer
Yeast is used to make wine, beer and bread. When mixed with the bread dough...
-
13 May 2011
Bacteria as detergents
Enzymes are proteins produced by the cells of all living organisms...
Bacteria as Sherlock Holmes
A drop of blood, a fragment of skin or a hair found on the scene of a crime can supply…
-
Down-pouring bacteria
It sounds incredible, but recent researches have found that bacteria can cause some atmospheric phenomena...
-
Bacteria as Sherlock Holmes
A drop of blood, a fragment of skin or a hair found on the scene of a crime can supply…