130 ALGAE IN PHYTOPLANKTON OF THE UNITED STATES 



GLOSSARY 



[adj, adjective; n, noun; v, verb] 



Acicular (adj). Slenderly needle shaped. 



Adiametric (adj). Having unequal diameters. 



Agglutinate (adj). Adherent; sticking together. 



Aggregate (adj). Massed together. 



Akinete (n). A nonmotile spore, formed directly from a vegetative cell. 



Alga, algae (n), algal (adj). A group of plants, mostly aquatic, single celled, colonial, or 



multicelled, containing chlorophyll and lacking roots, stems, and leaves. 

 Amorphous (adj). Lacking a definite shape. 

 Anapex (n), anapical (adj). The bottom or end opposite the apex. 

 Anisogamy (n), anisogamous (adj). The sexual union of two flagellated or 



nonflagellated gametes of unequal sizes. 

 Anterior (adj). At or toward the front. 

 Antherozoid (n). A male gamete. 

 Apex (n), apical (adj). The top or anterior end. 

 Aplanospore (n). A nonmotile spore formed from all or part of the protoplast of a 



vegetative cell and having a wall distinctly different from that of the parent cell. 

 Apposed (adj). Paired; opposite but in a definite relation to one another. 

 Arcuate (adj). Moderately curved like a bow. 

 Asymmetrical (adj). Not symmetrical. 

 Attenuated (adj). Tapering at the end. 

 Autospore (n). An aplanospore having the same shape as the vegetative cell from which 



it was formed. 

 Auxospore (n). A spore formed by asexual metamorphosis of the protoplast of one cell 



or resulting from the sexual fusion of two protoplasts or nuclei; occurs only in diatoms. 

 Biflagellate (adj). Having two flagella. 

 Bifurcate (adj). Divided into two parts or branches. 

 Bipartition (adj). Divided into two parts. 

 Calyptra (n). A hood- or cap-shaped covering, sometimes occurring on apical cells of 



filaments. 

 Campanulate (adj). Bell shaped. 

 Capitate (adj). Having a knoblike end. 

 Chloroplast (n). A body in the cell containing chlorophyll as the dominant pigment; see 



chromatophore. 

 Chromatophore (n). A body in the cell containing the pigments; see chloroplast. 

 Circinate (adj). Rolled inward from the apex. 

 Citriform (adj). Lemon shaped. 

 Clevate (adj). Club shaped. 

 Coenobium, coenobia (n). A colony in which a definite number of cells are arranged in a 



specific way. 

 Coenocyte (n), coenocytic (adj). A multinucleate vegetative cell or nonseptate thallus. 

 Colony (n), colonial (adj). A group of individuals joined together by a common sheath or 



gelatinous material; a group of cells forming a filament or trichome. 

 Concentric (adj). Having a common center. 

 Conical (adj). Cone shaped. 



Conjugation (n), conjugate (v). The union of gametes. 

 Contractile (adj). Having the ability to contract or expand. 

 Costa, costae (n), costate (adj). A rib or ribbed structure. 

 Cuneate (adj). Wedge shaped. 



Dichotomous (adj). Divided or branched into two parts; branched. 

 Diffuse (adj). Generalized; not localized. 



