Definition of phytoplankton - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The term plankton , which comes from the Greek word plankton , refers to the group of small-sized plant and animal organisms floating in water sweet or salty, being passively displaced by the current.When the plankton is formed mainly by plants , it is spoken of phytoplankton ; otherwise, it is zooplankton.

Phytoplankton, therefore, is composed of plant organisms that inhabit seas or bodies of fresh water: Like plants on the earth's surface, phytoplankton develops the photosynthesis : that is, they can generate organic matter from inorganic matter using the energy of the sun.In this process, phytoplankton absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide generated by humans and releases oxygen.

The organisms that make up phytoplankton are autotrophs since they are not They feed on other living beings, but synthesize the substances they need from inorganic elements.The protist algae and the cyanobacteria make up this group.

As expressed in the previous paragraphs, phytoplankton is of great biological importance; however, it can also cause ecological disorders.If the temperature is favorable and a surplus of nutrients accumulates in the water, the bloom or phytoplankton bloom is generated, which is multiply until the water becomes greenish.As the nutrients are depleted and the organisms that form the phytoplankton begin to die massively, the water turns brown and becomes contaminated from the decomposition of these beings.Phenomenon causes the so-called red tide : algae toxins affect clams, mussels and other mollusks that, if ingested by people, cause poisoning.

In recent years, phytoplankton has been incorporated into the kitchen , in the same way that many other ingredients that until a few decades ago would have seemed impossible to use for food preparation.of beneficial properties for our body, many call it the "mother earth's breast milk."

This variant of marine plankton contains a very favorable amount of nutrients for our health , and in scientific terms it is called ALPHA3 CMPES .It is important to note that it does not simply consist of any type of marine phytoplankton collected at random, but from a selection of certain organisms that have been qualified suitable for our consumption.More specifically, these are about two hundred species of microorganisms, which fish also take advantage of to feed.

One of its most characteristic features is that its cells have a silica coating: almost all other vegetables are covered with cellulose.Thanks to this detail, our body can more efficiently absorb its nutrients , investing less energy in the process.Phytoplankton has a large percentage of the nutrients our body needs to function properly.

Among its considerable contribution in minerals, vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates, we can say that phytoplankton is a very complete food for us.Another of its strengths is the fact of having a composition simple cell phone, thanks to which the organism should not work hard to recognize nutrients and assimilate them.

Including phytoplankton in our diet also helps us to purify the body more effectively, thanks to the so-called diatoms , which serve as filters to clean the blood of toxins In general, the volume of phytoplankton recommended in daily intake is very small, so that it acts as a complement to our nutrition, although a human being could be perfectly maintained on the basis of this food, for several reasons, both cultural as economic, it is not normal to use it as the only source of food.