Question

Spirogyra is called pond silk because

• A. Filaments are made up of silk
• B. Filaments are slippery to touch
• C. Their cell wall is composed of substances similar to silk fiber
• D. None of these

Answer 1

The correct option is B Filaments are slippery to touch

The plant body of Spirogyra is an unbranched filamentous thallus, measuring about 1 m in length. The Spirogyra filament is very slimy due to the presence of mucilage sheath that lines the whole filament. The mucilage often holds the filaments together in a matted blanket. Hence, Spirogyra is commonly known as pond silk, water silk, pond scum or mermaid’s trees because of their bright green silky appearance.