Welcome to the Wonderful World of
Pyrocystis fusiformis!
I
bet you're beyond ecstatic to find an entire website dedicated
to this spectacularly bioluminescent marine organism. Perhaps
you've always wanted to know how this organism reproduces or how
something so tiny survives in such a big environment. Thanks to
Organismal Biology at
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse,
the production of this website is possible. Now all you've ever
wanted to know about Pyrocystis fusiformis is right at your
fingertips.
Pyrocystis
fusiformis is a
dinoflagellate that can be found in the world's
oceans. It is a phytoplankton, which basically means it is a
tiny organism in the ocean that moves with the currents and
conducts photosynthesis. Pyrocystis is unicellular and immobile
for the majority of its life cycle. Through a chemical reaction
that occurs within its cell, it can produce a flash of light,
usually at night. This is called
bioluminescence. When a whole
bunch of Pyrocystis fusiformis organisms congregate together and
start bioluminescing all at once, it produces a brilliant light
display in the ocean. Due to "armored" plates located underneath
the plasma membrane and its bioluminescent ability, we refer to
Pyrocystis fusiformis as "A Knight in Shining Armor."
Pyrocystis fusiformis is important because it is a major producer in the world's oceans. Through photosynthesis, it produces a large amount of oxygen and consumes carbon dioxide. This influences the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.
On this website, you can find a whole bunch of information all about Pyrocystis fusiformis, including its taxonomic classification, where it lives, its life cycle, and how it interacts with other organisms (including us). So, indulge your curiosity! Satisfy your craving for knowledge! Go forth and delve into the life of Pyrocystis fusiformis!
Want to know where Pyrocystis fusiformis belongs in the tree of life? Go to Classification.
To continue your discovery of various organisms, you can visit other webpages created by Organismal Biology students at MultipleOrganisms.net.
To visit UW-La Crosse's website, click here.