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Micro-algae are made up of eukaryotic cells, these are cells with nuclei and organelles; they are regarded as the fastest growing plant on the planet using a lot of Carbon dioxide (Co2) in the process. All micro-algae have plastids, the bodies with chlorophyll that carry out photosynthesis. But the various strains of micro-algae have different combinations of chlorophyll molecules . All micro-algae primary comprises of the following, in varying proportions: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats and Nucleic Acids. While the percentages vary with the type of micro-algae species, there are micro-algae types that comprised of up to 25-30% of fatty acids (lipids or oil) of their overall mass. It is this fatty acid that is extracted and converted into vegetable oil and other products, the meal remaining after the oil extraction is rich in protein and carbohydrate which can also be as much as 60-70 % of the body mass and can therefore be used as a high-value ingredient in animal feeds. Micro algae is also playing an important role in the pharmaceutical industry because of the richness in vitamins. |
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