Page 197 - Photosynthesis: The Green Miracle

Algae

Algae are also capable of photosynthesis and are found ev-
erywhere on Earth, from the seas to fresh water, from the desert
sands to hot springs, even under Antarctic snow and ice.
Dispersed all over the world, they come in different forms, from
single-celled varieties to giant kelp that can be 60 meters (197 feet)

long. In addition to their complex structures, algae have different
ways of reproducing and share lifestyles in common with other
plants. They also contribute a large part of the oxygen in the at-
mosphere by means of their photosynthesis.
According to the evolutionist perspective, single-celled or-

ganisms are more primitive than multi-celled ones—which they
present as evidence that multi-celled creatures evolved from sin-
gle-celled ones. But as with other evolutionary scenarios, there is
no scientific basis for that view. On the contrary, some forms of
single-celled creatures exhibit a very complex cell structure.
Algae that photosynthesize possess this complex cell structure—

and also some of the most delightful geometrical shapes in na-
ture—and provide a large part of the oxygen in the atmosphere.
Single-celled algae, too small to be seen with the naked eye, are
an average of 0.5 micrometer in diameter. (One micrometer is 1
millionth of a meter.). 86

Despite their tiny size, there are unimaginably large num-
bers of them in Earth. They represent 90% of the living organisms
in the oceans. Together with other organisms such as plankton
that use photosynthesis, they form the basis of the world’s food
chain by producing some 130 million tons of organic carbon each
year. Each of these creatures is a micro-machine working to pro-
87
vide the world with food and oxygen.

In images obtained by an electron microscope, the stunning
beauty of these creatures and their perfect symmetry using all