Chromista - Definition, Glossary, Details - Oilgae
Chromista - The Chromista are a paraphyletic eukaryotic supergroup, which may be treated as a separate kingdom or included among the Protista. They include all algae whose chloroplasts contain chlorophylls a and c, as well as various colorless forms that are closely related to them. These are surrounded by four membranes, and are believed to have been acquired from some red alga. There are three different groups:
Introduction to the Chromista - The name Chromista means colored, and although some chromists, like mildews, are colorless, most are photosynthetic. Even though they are photosynthetic, chromists are not at all closely related to plants, or even to other algae. Unlike plants, the Chromista have chlorophyll c, and do not store their energy in the form of starch. Also, photosynthetic chromists often carry various pigments in addition to chlorophyll, which are not found in plants. It is these pigments which give them their characteristic brown or golden color.
