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Question 54 of 56

Q.Draw and label the structure of Chlamydomonas.

Puducherry TnboardTamil Nadu HSC First Year (DGE) Board 2026Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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Chlamydomonas is a small, ovoid, biflagellate green alga; its key labelled parts are the cell wall, two flagella, cup-shaped chloroplast with pyrenoid, nucleus, eyespot, and contractile vacuoles.

A hand-drawn figure can't be rendered in this text format, so here is the structure described part by part exactly as it would be labelled in a diagram, moving from outside to inside:

  1. Cell wall: a rigid, smooth wall (made of glycoprotein, not cellulose) surrounding the cell, giving it its characteristic ovoid/pear shape.
  2. Flagella (2): two whip-like, equal-length flagella project from the anterior (narrower) end of the cell, used for swimming; this is why Chlamydomonas is described as biflagellate.
  3. Eyespot (stigma): a small, reddish-orange, light-sensitive spot located near the base of the flagella, at the anterior end, embedded in the chloroplast; it helps the cell detect light direction for phototaxis (swimming towards light).
  4. Contractile vacuoles (2): two small, pulsating vacuoles located close to the base of the flagella at the anterior end; they regulate water balance by periodically expelling excess water from the cell.
  5. Chloroplast: a single, large, cup-shaped (or bell-shaped) chloroplast occupies most of the cell, with its open end towards the anterior; it contains chlorophyll and carries out photosynthesis.
  6. Pyrenoid: a dense proteinaceous body embedded within the chloroplast (usually at its base), associated with starch synthesis and storage. …

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