Chlorella is a genus of single-celled green algae, belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta. It is spherical in shape, about 2 to 10 μm in diameter, and is without flagella. Chlorella contains the green photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll-a and -b in its chloroplast. Through photosynthesis it multiplies rapidly requiring only carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and a small amount of minerals to reproduce. Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Classes Chlorophyceae Ulvophyceae Trebouxiophyceae Prasinophyceae The Chlorophyta, or green algae, include about 8000 species[1] of mostly aquatic photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. ... Orders see text The Chlorophyceae are one of the classes of green algae, distinguished mainly on the basis of ultrastructural morphology. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Sphaeropleales. ... Chlorella pyrenoidosa is a species of fresh water green algae. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Drawing of the structure of cork as it appeared under the microscope to Robert Hooke from Micrographia which is the origin of the word cell. Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green). ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Classes Chlorophyceae Ulvophyceae Trebouxiophyceae Prasinophyceae The Chlorophyta, or green algae, include about 8000 species[1] of mostly aquatic photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... A flagellum (plural, flagella) is a whip-like organelle that many unicellular organisms, and some multicellular ones, use to move about. ... Chlorophyll gives leaves their green color Space-filling model of the chlorophyll molecule Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. ... Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and eukaryotic algae that conduct photosynthesis. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... In order to meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article requires cleanup. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ... A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure and specific physical properties. ...

The name Chlorella is taken from the Greek word chloros meaning green and the Latin diminutive suffix ella meaning "small". The German biochemist Otto Heinrich Warburg received the Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine in 1931 for his study on photosynthesis in Chlorella. In 1961 Melvin Calvin of the University of California received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on the pathways of carbon dioxide assimilation in plants using Chlorella. In recent years researchers have made less use of Chlorella as an experimental organism because it lacks a sexual cycle and, therefore, the research advantages of genetics are unavailable. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A biochemist is a scientist trained and dedicated to producing results in the discipline of biochemistry. ... Otto Heinrich Warburg (October 8, 1883, Freiburg im Breisgau – August 1, 1970, Berlin), son of Emil Warburg, was a German physiologist and medical doctor. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Melvin Calvin he had fun in bed Melvin Calvin (April 8, 1911 – January 8, 1997) was a chemist most famed for discovering the Calvin cycle (along with Andrew Benson), for which he was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. ... Berkeley Davis Irvine Los Angeles Merced San Diego Santa Barbara Santa Cruz UC Office of the President in Oakland The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. ... This is a list of Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry from 1901 to 2006. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... A model organism is a species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. ... A life cycle is a period involving one generation of an organism through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction. ... DNA, the molecular basis for inheritance. ...

Many people believed that Chlorella could serve as a potential source of food and energy because its photosynthetic efficiency can theoretically reach 8%,^[1] this is comparable with other highly efficient crops such as sugar cane. It is also an attractive food source because it is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber, and 10% minerals and vitamins. However, because it is a single-celled algae, harvest posed practical difficulties for its large-scale use as a food source. Mass production methods are now being used to cultivate it in large artificial circular ponds. There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ... Lactose is a disaccharide found in milk. ... Retinol (Vitamin A) For the record label, see Vitamin Records A vitamin is an organic compound required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in a living organism. ...

Aquarium

Chlorella green algae can create green and opaque water problems in aquariums. Chlorella can grow due to high nitrate and phosphate levels or direct sunlight. Decreasing phosphate and nitrate by partial water change and moving the aquarium to shade can help in solving the problem. A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... “Aquaria” redirects here. ... An electrostatic potential map of the nitrate ion. ... Above is a ball-and-stick model of the inorganic hydrogenphosphate anion (HPO42−). Colour coding: P (orange); O (red); H (white). ...

Chlorella as a food source

During the late 1940s and the early 1950s chlorella was seen as a new and promising primary food source and as a possible solution to the then current world hunger crisis. Many people during this era thought that world hunger was a growing problem and saw chlorella as a way to end this crisis by being able to provide large amounts of high quality food for a relatively low cost.^[2]

Following global fears of an uncontrollable population boom in the 1940's, chlorella became a possible answer to the tremendous food shortages the world would face in light of this speedy, post-war growth. Many institutions stepped up to research the algae, including the Carnegie Institution, the Rockefeller Foundation, the NIH, UC Berkeley, the Atomic Energy Commission, and Stanford University. Following WWI, many Europeans were starving and many Malthusians attributed this not only to the war but to the inability of the world to produce enough food to support the currently increasing population. According to a 1946 FAO report, the world would need to produce 25 to 35 percent more food in 1960 than in 1939 to keep up with the increasing population, while health improvements would require a 90 to 100 percent increase (Belasco, 612). Because meat was costly and energy intensive to produce, protein shortages were also an issue. Increasing harvest area alone would only go so far in providing adequate nutrition to the population. The USDA calculated that to feed the US population by 1975, it would have to add 200 million acres (800,000 km²) of land, but only 45 million were available. One way to combat national food shortages was to increase the land available for farmers, yet the American frontier and farm land had long since been extinguished in trade for expansion and urban life. Hopes rested solely on new agricultural techniques and technologies. Because of these circumstances, an alternative solution was needed. The Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) is a foundation established by Andrew Carnegie in 1902 to support scientific research. ... The Rockefeller Foundation (RF) is a prominent philanthropic organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. ... National Institutes of Health Building 50 at NIH Clinical Center - Building 10 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical research. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Shield of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. ... Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University (or simply Stanford), is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and approximately 20 miles northwest of San José in Stanford, California. ... Malthusianism is a brand of the Manchester School capitalist-type political/economic thought developed during the industrial revolution on the basis of the writings of Thomas Malthus. ... The United States Department of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA) is a United States Federal Executive Department (or Cabinet Department). ...

To cope with the upcoming post-war population boom in the United States and elsewhere, researchers decided to tap into the unexploited sea resources. Initial testing by the Stanford Research Institute showed that chlorella (when growing in warm, sunny, shallow conditions) could convert 20 percent of solar energy into a plant that, when dried, contained 50 percent protein (Belasco 617). In addition, chlorella contained amino acids, fat, calories and vitamins. The plant's photosynthetic efficiency allowed it to yield more protein per unit area than any other plant — one scientist predicted that 10,000 tons of protein a year could be produced with just 20 workers staffing a one thousand-acre (4 km²) chlorella farm (Belasco, 618). The pilot research performed at Stanford and elsewhere led to immense press from journalists and newspapers, yet sadly never panned out. Chlorella was a seemingly viable option because of the technological advances in agriculture at the time and the widespread acclaim it got from experts and scientists who studied it. Algae researchers had even hoped to add a neutralized chlorella powder to conventional food products, as a way to fortify them with vitamins and minerals (Belasco, 625). Unfortunately, the hype far surpassed the productivity of the plant and early estimates of its success were proven to be no more than exaggerated optimism. SRI Internationals main campus on Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California SRI International is one of the worlds largest contract research institutions. ...

Ultimately, scientists discovered that chlorella would be much more difficult to produce than previously thought. The experimental research was carried out in laboratories, not in the field. Practically, the entire batch of algae grown would have to be placed either in artificial light or in the shade so that it would produce at its maximum photosynthetic efficiency. Additionally, for the chlorella to be as productive as the world would require, the chlorella would have to be grown in carbonated water which would have added millions to the production cost. A sophisticated process that would cost additional money was required to harvest the chlorella, and for the chlorella to be a viable food source, its cellulose cell walls would have to be pulverized. The plant could only reach its nutritional potential in highly modified artificial situations. Economic problems and the public's distaste for the flavor of chlorella and its byproducts ultimately led to the demise of chlorella. Cellulose as polymer of β-D-glucose Cellulose in 3D Cellulose (C6H10O5)n is a polysaccharide of beta-glucose. ...

Since the growing world food problem of the 1940's was solved by better crop efficiency and not from a "super food," chlorella has lost public and scientific interest for the time being. Chlorella can still be found today in rare occasions from companies still promoting chlorella's "super food" effects.^[3]

Nutrition

It was believed in the early 1940s that unlike most plants, Chlorella’s protein was “complete,” for it had the ten amino acids then considered essential, and it was also packed with calories, fat, and vitamins(Belasco 613). Chlorella has been found to have anti tumor properties when fed to mice.[1][2][3] Another study found enhanced vascular function in hypertensive rats given oral doses of chlorella.[4] Although at its onset Chlorella was thought by many to add a "dirt cheap" form of high protein to the human diet, studies proved otherwise. Chlorella, which actually lost most of its nutritional value when altered/processed in any way, was no longer an effective protein and therefore pro-Chlorella supporters decided to communicate other health benefits of the algae. Hence, weight control, cancer prevention, and immune system support were all positive health benefits attributed to this algae (Belasco 608,628-630). It was also thought that humans would never eat algae directly; instead they believed it could be added to animal feed, thereby increasing to protein consumption indirectly (Belasco 625).

Early Reception and Scientific Backing

When the preliminary laboratory results were published the reaction of scientific literature backed the possibilities of the supposed superfood. Science News Letter praised the optimistic results in an article entitled "Algae to Feed the Starving." John Burlew, the reported editor of Carnegie Institute stated that "the algae culture may fill a very real need," which Science News Letter turned into "future populations of the world will be kept from starving by the production of improved or educated algae related to the green scum on ponds." The cover of the magazine also featured Arthur D Little's Cambridge laboratory which was a supposed future food factory. A few years later, the magazine published an article entitled "Tomorrow's Dinner," which stated that "There is no doubt in the mind of scientists that the farms of the future will actually be factories." Science Digest also reported that "common pond scum would soon become the world's most important agricultural crop." Yet the optimistic initial promises of the algae fell short when further testing was conducted.

Failures

Although technologically creative and promising, Chlorella would not prove to be economically viable in the market. Experiencing competition to the health world’s Spirulina, Soybean, and whole grain craze, algae products simply could not measure up. Economically too, in practice, algae was not as cheaply or easily harvested as technicians predicted it would be 40 years earlier. The efficiency of other "normal" dietary products actually turned out to supersede that of algae growth and production. Aside from production inefficiencies, Chlorella, as it turned out, did not capture the benefits of photosynthesis and sunlight as predicted. After a decade of experimentation, and after exposed to sunlight, Chlorella captured just 2.5 percent — not much better than conventional crops (Belasco, 627). Chlorella, too, was found by scientists in the 1960s to be impossible for humans and animals to digest in its natural state, which presented further problems for the use of algae in American food production.^[4] The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ...

References

1. ^ I.Zelitch, Photosynthesis, Photorespiration and Plant Productivity, Academic Press, 1971, p.275
2. ^ Belasco, Warren. "Algae Burgers for a Hungrey World? The Rise and Fall of Chlorella Cuisine"
3. ^ Belasco, "Algae Burgers for a Hungry World?", pp ??
4. ^ Belasco, "Algae Burgers for a Hungry World?", pp 13-14

Belasco, Warren. "Algae Burgers for a Hungry World? The Rise and Fall of Chlorella Cuisine". Technology and Culture, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp 608-634

External links

• Food and drug administration's view[5]tre