Write the characteristics of division that includes members like Chlamydomonas, Fucus, Gelidium, etc.

Algae belongs to division Thallophyta. 

Salient features of algae: 

1. Habitat: Algae are mostly aquatic, few grow on other plants as epiphytes and some grow symbiotically. Some algae are epizoic i.e. growing or living non-parasitically on the exterior of living organisms. Aquatic algae grow in marine or fresh water. Most of them are free-living while some are symbiotic. 

2. Structure: Plant body is thalloid i.e. undifferentiated into root, stem and leaves. They may be small, unicellular, microscopic like Cblorella (non-motile), Chlamydomonas (motile). They can be multicellular, unbranched, filamentous like Spirogyra or branched and filamentous like Chara. Sargassum is a huge macroscopic sea weed which measures more than 60 meters in length. 

3. Cell wall: The algal cell wall contains either polysaccharides like cellulose / glucose or a variety of proteins or both. Reserve food material: Reserve food is in the form of starch and its other forms. 

4. Photosynthetic pigments: Photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll – a, chlorophyll – b, chlorophyll – c, chlorophyll – d, carotenes, xanthophylls, phycobilins are found in algae.

5. Reproduction: Reproduction takes place by vegetative, asexual and sexual method. 

6. Life cycle: The life cycle shows phenomenon of alternation of generation, dominant haploid and reduced diploid phases.