Algae are an eclectic group of organisms that can be found throughout the world. Because they are so diverse, there are four main criteria that are used to help put them into groups for classification. These criteria include color or pigmentation, movement or flagellation, energy storage, and cell wall composition. In this exhibit, we explore these criteria through art.
Pigmentation
Pigmentation is the first of the key characteristic used for classifying algae. They come in a variety of colors, ranging from red to blue-green to nearly everything in between. Read more
Morphology
In addition to pigmentation, morphology is a trait used to further partition each division into different genera and species. Read more
Movement
The way an alga moves—or doesn’t move—is the second key characteristic used to classify groups of algae. Read more
Energy Storage
The third key characteristic used to distinguish algae is the product they store for energy. Read more
Cell Wall Composition
The composition of an organism’s cell wall is the fourth characteristic used to classify an... Read more
Environment
In addition to the four characteristics used to categorize algae, the environment where an algae is found is extremely important in determining what organisms will be living there. Read more