Chlamydomonas Under the Microscope
Chlamydomonas (Whole Mount), Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
This slide shows many Chlamydomonas cells, a single-celled green alga, stained with fast green. It is a classic example of a simple, swimming photosynthetic cell.
This whole mount shows Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii), a single-celled green alga, stained with Fast Green. Thousands of tiny oval cells are spread across the slide, each only about 10 micrometers long. In a living cell, one large cup-shaped chloroplast fills most of the space and makes food by photosynthesis. Two whip-like flagella at one end let the cell swim, though they are very thin and hard to see here. Chlamydomonas is a useful example for talking about how scientists classify organisms that act a bit like plants and a bit like animals.
What to look for
- Cell shape: Small oval to round cells scattered across the slide.
- Cup-shaped chloroplast: One large chloroplast that fills much of the cell, shaped like a cup.
- Pyrenoid: A small round body inside the chloroplast where starch is made.
- Flagella: Two thin whip-like threads at one end, often hard to see on stained slides.
- Eyespot: A small spot near the front of the cell that senses light, not always visible after staining.
Questions and answers
What does Chlamydomonas look like under a microscope?
Chlamydomonas is a small oval cell, often about 10 micrometers long, with one large cup-shaped chloroplast. It has two flagella at one end for swimming, which can be hard to see without high magnification.
Is Chlamydomonas a plant or an animal?
Neither. Chlamydomonas is a single-celled green alga. It makes its own food by photosynthesis like a plant, but it swims with flagella, which is why it is used to discuss how living things are classified.
Compare it
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Fast Green
Viewing this slide in class
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