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Q.Name the cell for N2 fixation in Blue green algae.

Rajasthan RbseRajasthan Board Senior Secondary Part-I Examination 2017Subjective· 1mImportance★★★★★
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The heterocyst is a large, thick-walled specialised cell in filamentous cyanobacteria where atmospheric nitrogen is fixed.

Cyanobacteria such as Nostoc and Anabaena are photosynthetic (release O2), yet the enzyme that fixes atmospheric N2 into ammonia — nitrogenase — is irreversibly inactivated by oxygen. To resolve this conflict, certain cells along the filament differentiate into heterocysts:

  • They develop a thick, multi-layered outer wall that greatly restricts gas (O2) diffusion into the cell, creating a micro-anaerobic environment.
  • They lack photosystem II, so they do not evolve oxygen themselves. …

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