Phycology: Principles, Processes and Applications

Time seems ripe for the application of phycological research in various disciplines of biology. Algal organisms, due to their small size, wider distributional pattern, a short life span, easily manipulative inorganic nutrition, and other useful attributes, have attracted developmental biologists, geneticists, biotechnologists, microbiologists, physiologists, environmentalists, zoologists and forensic scientists alike. These organisms have a wide range of application in a spectrum of areas comprising agriculture, aquaculture, environment and in a variety of industrial and food products. This book Phycology: Principles, Processes and Applications, provides comprehensive updated reviews on several important aspects of phycology. The volume comprises of 24 chapters, which are grouped in five sections. The chapters cover a variety of topics ranging from systematics and ultrastructure, physiology and ecology, molecular biology and biotechnology, an applications. Towards an end, few chapters on methods and techniques are of special interest to the budding phycologists.