Extracellular Polysaccharides of Algae: Effects on Life-Support Systems

Abstract

The amount of extracellular polysaccharide produced by eight species of green and blue-green algae ranges from 174 milligrams per liter to 557 milligrams per liter. Most of the polymers are composed of four monosaccharides: a hexose, a pentose, a methyl pentose, and uronic acid. The production of excessive amounts of these photosynthetic end products will undoubtedly influence the effective recycling time of growth media in life-support systems.