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Definition

noun, singular: cyanobacterium

A group of prokaryotes that are characterized by the following general features:

• predominantly photosynthetic, i.e. chlorophyll on intracytoplasmic membranes are present and involved in photosynthesis
• blue-green in colour due to the presence of phycobiliproteins.
• occurring singly (unicellular) or in colonies (filamentous, e.g. Anabaena sp.)
• heterocysts capable of nitrogen fixation
• nonmotile or by gliding motility
• reproduce by binary fission

Supplement

According to the endosymbiont theory, the chloroplasts inside the cells of photosynthetic eukaryotes had likely evolved from their endosymbiotic relation with cyanobacteria.

Word origin: Greek (kyanós) = blue

Also called: blue-green algae or blue-green bacteria.

Related term:

• Cyanophyta