English

one of the blue-green algae

Noun

blue-green alga ‎(plural blue-green algae)

1. Any member of the cyanobacteria; a primitive photosynthetic organism similar to bacteria which is thought to have generated the first oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere.

Usage notes

• The term alga is now considered improper scientific usage, since true algae are eukaryotic organisms, rather than bacteria. It remains in common use among aquarists and others, however.

Synonyms

• cyanobacterium, BGA

Hypernyms

• (bacterium called alga): alga, bacterium

Translations