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PIGMENTS OF ALGAE AND CHROMATOGRAPHY 

 OF ALTERED CHLOROPLAST PIGMENTS 



ALGAL PIGMENTS 



Complexity of the Algae 



From a taxonomic standpoint, the different kinds of algae repre- 

 sent very remotely related organisms^ »^»o Apart from the green 

 algae that resemble the higher plants, the species of the various al- 

 gal classes might be expected to show variations of ohloroplast pig- 

 ments commensurate with the great variations of their photosynthetic 

 products, cellular composition and reproductive patterns. 



The algal species that have now been examined represent an ex- 

 tensive cross section of the plant kingdom. There are, nevertheless, 

 additional species that occupy interesting taxonomic positions but 

 that were unavailable for the pigment investigations » 



Pigments of Euglena (Euglenophyta) 



Only two species of Euglena were available for the examination 

 of their pigments, Euglena gracilis was grown in smell quantities in 

 pure culture, Euglena polymorpha was found in xinialgal condition in 

 stagnant rain pools in a cow corral at Stanford. These motile organ- 

 isms were skimmed off in quantity in the early morning when they con- 

 centrated at the surface of the dark puddles. 



The pigments from Euglena polymorpha were separated in a column 

 of powdered sugar as indicated in Figure 111,1, They included chloro- 

 phylls a and b, two unique xanthophylls, a nonsorbed carotenoid, and 

 p-carotene. In the early stages of the chromatographic separation, 

 the principal xanthophyll was sometimes precipitated, and for a time. 



