The Effects of Light Wavelengths on V. hendryi Development

Abstract

Primary producers break down light into different categories, allowing them to respond to light in multiple different ways. This paper answers the questions for Vertebrata hendryi, a filamentous red alga, which are: do sensory photoreceptor cells in V. hendryi play a role in developmental events by response to wavelength, and does V. hendryi grow better under a specific wavelength? Pieces of V. hendryi were placed in f/2 medium-filled petri dishes within containers of different colored LED starboards to measure dimensions of cystocarps/pericarps before and after the treatment, along with the number of cystocarps/pericarps and branches. The results showed significant difference between the green and red/far-red wavelength for the number of branches, suggesting increased vegetative growth for the alga under green light wavelength.