Practice question
Question
A prokaryotic colony contains chlorophyll a, is surrounded by a gelatinous sheath and forms a bloom in polluted water. Which further feature may occur in some members?
Explanation
The organism is a cyanobacterium. Cyanobacterial colonies commonly possess a gelatinous sheath and may form blooms in polluted water. Some forms, such as Nostoc and Anabaena, fix atmospheric nitrogen in heterocysts.