Sentences with phrase «photosynthetic algae living»

Corals are communities of animals that have tiny photosynthetic algae living inside them in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Photosynthetic algae living within the polyps provide the coral with energy, its vibrant colors, and protection against the acidic byproducts of its respiration.

Not exact matches

After over three billion years of evolution in the oceans, multi-cellular life — beginning with green algae, fungi, and plants (liverworts, mosses, ferns, then vascular and flowering plants)-- began adapting to land habitats by creating a new «hypersea,» and adding anomalous shades of green to Earth's coloration more than 472 million years ago (Matt Walker, BBC News, October 12, 2010; and Qiu et al, 1998 — more on the evolution of photosynthetic life and plants on Earth).

Known as zooxanthellae, these algae live within the coral's exposed polyp tissues and are a crucially important photosynthetic source of carbon for the host.