Anabena
Occurrence
Filamentous cynobacteria
Known for nitrogen fixation
symbotic relations with mosquito ferns
some are endophytes;live in roots of cycas
found in water as blooms
produce neurotoxins (symbiotic)
DNA;7.5 million long base pairs
Natural fertilizers in paddy fields as convert nitrogen into ammonia
Structure
Filamentous bacteria like nostoc
Differentiate because of trichomes
Nostoc has mucilage and in form of colonies
Anabena has strings of beaded cells
Hetrocysts are presentin trichomes
Sheath are always hyaline and watery gelatinous
Structure of cell
Three layered inner:cellular,middle:pectic,outer:mucilage
Protoplast has two parts 1)chromoplast contain pigment2)colourless contain nucleus called as CENTRAL
BODY and CHROMATIN GRALULES
Herocycts are of same shape
Some organelles absent
Reproduction
Similar to nostoc.sexual reproduction absent
1)HORMOGONES FORMATION
                            Hormogones are short length filaments.develop large lenght by
vegetative reproduction.hormocysts are points from which hormogone break.
2)AKINETES FORMATION
                          Are formed during unfavorable conditions.are thick walled with large amount
of food materials.there walls is two or three layered thick.have granular protoplast.can form
filaments.can survive in severe conditions
3)ENDOSPORE FORMATION
                              Are rare in anabena
Nitrogen fixation in anabena
It occurs in time of low environmental nitrogen.one cell out of ten differentiate into hetrocysts.it supply
with nitrogen.in return get products of photosynthesis.they cannot perform photosynthesis.enzyme in
hetrocyst is NITROGENASE.it is unstable in oxygen presence.it is kept isolated from oxygen.to maintain
low level of oxygen they develop three additional layers outside the cell.it prevent enterence of
oxygen.it give enlarge and round appearance.due to this rate of diffusion of hetrocysts is low than
vegetative cells.one layer create layer of polysacrides.nitrogen is fixed in this oxygen resistance
layer.photosystem is also eliminated to prevent it from oxygen.