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- The composition of the cell wall reveals
Chlorella's ancestral pathway along three phylogenetic
clades. Some researchers classify species with ellipsoidal cells,
cell walls composed of a single smooth layer, and no pyrenoids
as part of the genus Watanabea. Others classify species
lacking pyrenoids within the genus Palmellococcus.
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- Chlorella is
a single-celled, nonmotile green alga that is spherical or ellipsoidal
in shape. The cells are usually 2-12 µm in diameter, but
the size can vary, even within a single population. The cells
are solitary or in irregular clumps. The chloroplasts are parietal,
cup-shaped, or plate-like, and sometimes bear pyrenoids.
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- Chlorella has
a high growth rate, which makes it very interesting to researchers
in a variety of fields. Chlorella was used by Melvin Calvin
to study the light-independent ("dark") photosynthetic
reactions. Chlorella has the highest chlorophyll content
of any known organism and has been researched for use in mass
cultivation, sewage waste purification, or as bioreactors to
recycle air in a closed system, such as in space. The cells are
rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals (especially B-complex
vitamins) and are a potential food source. Growth farms have
already been established in the United States, Japan, the Netherlands,
Germany, and Israel. Chlorella is currently available
as a nutritional supplement.
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