7
Microalgae, a Biological Resource
for the Future
Contents
7.1 What Are Microalgae? ...................................................................................................... 197
7.2 Screening and Culturing Marine Microalgae.................................................................... 202
7.3 Mass-Production of Microalgae ........................................................................................ 205
7.4 Biotechnology of Microalgae............................................................................................ 211
7.5 Microalgae Use in CO 2 Fixation and Production of Beneficial Substances.................... 218
7.6 Industrial Applications of Microalgae............................................................................... 221
7.7 Chapter Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................... 225
References .................................................................................................................................. 225
7.1 What Are Microalgae?
7.1.1 Definition of Microalgae
People often speak of the seas as being blue, but the blue color of the oceans is said
to be the result of the water’s depth and various physical factors. A beautiful sea is a
deep shade of indigo, but not all seas are blue. We see different colors ranging from
green to brown, which are the result of phytoplankton in the water. The term
plankton refers to floating organisms that drift with the water’s currents, encompassing the two categories of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton
consists of single-cell algae that belong, like green plants on land, to the category of
primary producers, generating cells and energy through photosynthesis. These are
also referred to as microalgae (Spolaore et al. 2006).
The term algae is typically used to refer to lower plants without systematically
differentiated roots, stalks, and leaves which perform photosynthesis with chlorophyll. The category includes not only familiar seaweeds like sea mustard, kelp, and
laver but also microalgae like Chlorella that consist of a single cell. As a category,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
S.-K. Kim, Essentials of Marine Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20944-5_7
197
Microalgae, a Biological Resource
for the Future
Contents
7.1 What Are Microalgae? ...................................................................................................... 197
7.2 Screening and Culturing Marine Microalgae.................................................................... 202
7.3 Mass-Production of Microalgae ........................................................................................ 205
7.4 Biotechnology of Microalgae............................................................................................ 211
7.5 Microalgae Use in CO 2 Fixation and Production of Beneficial Substances.................... 218
7.6 Industrial Applications of Microalgae............................................................................... 221
7.7 Chapter Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................... 225
References .................................................................................................................................. 225
7.1 What Are Microalgae?
7.1.1 Definition of Microalgae
People often speak of the seas as being blue, but the blue color of the oceans is said
to be the result of the water’s depth and various physical factors. A beautiful sea is a
deep shade of indigo, but not all seas are blue. We see different colors ranging from
green to brown, which are the result of phytoplankton in the water. The term
plankton refers to floating organisms that drift with the water’s currents, encompassing the two categories of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton
consists of single-cell algae that belong, like green plants on land, to the category of
primary producers, generating cells and energy through photosynthesis. These are
also referred to as microalgae (Spolaore et al. 2006).
The term algae is typically used to refer to lower plants without systematically
differentiated roots, stalks, and leaves which perform photosynthesis with chlorophyll. The category includes not only familiar seaweeds like sea mustard, kelp, and
laver but also microalgae like Chlorella that consist of a single cell. As a category,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
S.-K. Kim, Essentials of Marine Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20944-5_7
197