What is the Oscillatoria?

Question

Can anyone explain the structure of the Oscillatoria? When under total magnification of 1000x, i observed that this bacteria has the light green thing on it (something like pigment) and some black dots (or darkness color). What are these two things?

Because of this bacteria is prokaryote, it might not consists of the chloroplast (light green) right? Besides, the black dots cant be the zigot since the they are asexual organisms.

So what are these?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I'm not a botanist, but based on the descriptions of these algae that I've read online, the light green "things" could be "phycobilisomes" (large aggregates of photosynthetic pigments that are attached to the thylakoid membrane in these blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) as well as in others (red algae). These pigments are brilliantly coloured and fluorescent proteins, and could be what you're seeing as "light green things".
As for the black dots, the species of Oscillatoria are described as having a varied number of 'granules' along the septa that separate adjacent cells. Also, cyanobacteria have various types of dark bodies (e.g. containing polyphosphate or cyanophycin).

Here's a scientific paper describing Oscillatoria (the photographs are very good):
http://www.wrc.org.za/archives/watersa%2…

Source(s):

More about granules and inclusions in these cells: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl…

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thx for the answer and website!