The Invisible ABCs

Exploring the World of Microbes...

Letter C

Dissodinium pseudolunulla

Habitat:

 

Dissodinium is a unicellular microbe that lives in the ocean.  It lives on the surface of the eggs of small animals called copepods.

 

Importance:

 

Dissodinium is a microorganism that harvests its energy from sunlight using a process known as photosynthesis.  During photosynthesis, oxygen is released.  In addition, Dissodinium and other photosynthetic microbes are the basis for the food chain in the ocean.

 

Classification:

 

Dissodinium is a unicellular microbe that belongs to group of organisms that have whip-like structures called flagella that are used to propel the organism through the water.  In addition, microbes in this group are photosynthetic and have a complex life cycle.