Tetrabaena is a monotypic genus of green algae containing the species Tetrabaena socialis.[1][2][3] It primarily occurs in freshwater, although it has been found in saltwater on at least one occasion.[3] Although rare, it has a cosmopolitan distribution and has even been found from Antarctica.[4]
Tetrabaena are colonial organisms, consisting of four cells. The four cells are arranged in a square, and attached to each other by the extensions of their cellular sheaths. Cells are ovoid, somewhat asymmetrical in shape. It a motileflagellate, possessing two equal flagella per cell[2][3] and two contractile vacuoles at the base of the flagella. Cells also contain a single cup-shaped chloroplast with a basal pyrenoid.[4] Although Tetrabaena possess an eyespot, it does not appear to function as a photoreceptor.[5]
Tetrabaena is a member of the order Chlamydomonadales, a model lineage used in the study of the origins of multicellular organisms from single-celled ancestors.[2][3] Within Chlamydomonadales, it is notable for being the colonial species with the smallest number of cells (4), placing it at the boundary between single- and multi-cellularity. As such, it has been characterized as the "simplest integrated multicellular organism."[2]
1 2 3 Nakada, Takashi; Nozaki, Hisayoshi (2014). "Chapter 6. Flagellate Green Algae". In Wehr, John D.; Sheath, Robert G.; Kociolek, J. Patrick (eds.). Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification (2ed.). Elsevier Inc. pp.265–313. ISBN978-0-12-385876-4.
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