First Advisor

Sarah Eppley

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Science and University Honors

Department

Science

Subjects

Green algae -- Effect of temperature on, Green algae -- Physiology, Photosynthesis

DOI

10.15760/honors.288

Abstract

Research on temperature change has received attention from scientists. Not only has temperature change attracted scientists who study the Earth’s weather and climate, but also those who study plants and animals on land and in oceans. The research being conducted looks at how these temperature changes affect the anatomy and physiology of organisms, but other research also studies how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have changed and the types of responses that have occurred as a result. For many years, research in terrestrial ecosystems has dominated research in aquatic ecosystems. Limited research has been conducted in aquatic ecosystems involving green macroalgae, which are primary producers and an essential part of these ecosystems. Within the last fifteen years, research regarding the effects of temperature change on green macroalgae has shown that temperature affects photosynthesis and biochemistry. Overall, photosynthesis is almost completely inhibited after sufficient exposure due to damage in Photosystem II. There is also a substantial change in the production of chemical molecules known as reactive oxygen species that caused physical damage to the algal cells as well as a change in structure for proteins that is essential for function. I reviewed the literature within the past fifteen years, regarding the effects of temperature on a variety of green macroalgae species. The results indicated that after sufficient exposure, the photosynthetic rate of macroalgae is reduced significantly and that the change in chemistry lead to alterations in the physiology of green macroalgae. In this thesis, I propose two possible directions for algae research that involves genetic sequencing of a model species to identify a possible temperature tolerance gene, as well as the potential use of green macroalgae in photobioreactors as a source of renewable energy.

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Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/17430

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