al|gae

al|gae «AL jee», noun (plural).

a group of simple organisms that can make their own food. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, or leaves. Some algae float free in water and form scum on rocks; these are single-celled. Others, such as the seaweeds and some freshwater plants like them, may be very large; those are multicellular. The two main groups of algae are the blue-green algae that are sometimes classified with bacteria as protists, and all other algae—the green algae, the brown algae, and the red algae—which are classified as plants.

╂[< Latin algae, plural of alga seaweed]