Question

Spirogyra is commonly called as pond silk because

• A. Silk is manufactured from it
• B. It looks like a thread
• C. It is slimy to touch
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is C It is slimy to touch

Pond silk is the common name of Spirogyra (algae) because it is very slimy.
Spirogyra is a genus (about 400 species) of freshwater green algae which are found in shallow ponds, ditches and amongst vegetation at the edges of large lakes, generally growing free-floating.
Cells are joined end-to-end in an unbranched, largely unspecialised, stiff filament and are cylindrical with one or two spirally-wound chloroplasts on which many pyrenoids are borne. The cell wall is of two layers, the outer of cellulose and the inner of pectin. Filaments can be several centimeters in length. It generally has a rather silky feel and a shiny green colour.