| Oscillatoria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oscillatoria princeps | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Cyanobacteria |
| Class: | Cyanophyceae |
| Order: | Oscillatoriales |
| Family: | Oscillatoriaceae |
| Genus: | Oscillatoria Vaucher ex Gomont, 1822 |
| Type species | |
| Oscillatoria princeps Vaucher ex Gomont
| |
| Species | |
|
See list in body text | |
Oscillatoria is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria. It is often found in freshwater environments.[1] Its name refers to the oscillating motion of its filaments as they slide against each other to position the colony to face a light source.[2] Oscillatoria uses photosynthesis to survive and reproduce. Each filament of Oscillatoria consists of a row of cells called a trichome. The tip of the trichome oscillates like a pendulum.
Reproduction takes place asexually by fragmentation. Usually the filament breaks into a number of fragments called hormogonia. Each hormogonium consist of one or more cells and grows into a filament by cell division in one direction.[1]
As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from this genus, e.g. Tenebriella.[3]
- ^ a b "Oscillatoria | cyanobacteria genus | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "Oscillatoria". oceandatacenter.ucsc.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ Hauerová, Radka; Hauer, Tomáš; Kaštovský, Jan; Komárek, Jiří; Lepšová-Skácelová, Olga; Mareš, Jan (2021). "Tenebriella gen. nov. – the dark twin of Oscillatoria". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 165: 107293. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107293. PMID 34391914. S2CID 237093100.