Plants are the prime example of autotrophs, using photosynthesis. All other organisms must make use of food that comes from other organisms in the form of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. These organisms which feed on others are called heterotrophs.

Most plants are autotrophs because they make their own food by photosynthesis. But for every rule there is an exception. Some plants are non-photosynthetic and parasitic, obtaining their food through a host.

Heterotrophs – function as consumers in food chains, they eat other heterotrophs or autotrophs. Most bacterial, all animal, and fungi species are heterotrophs. Gives examples of autotrophic organisms. Plants are autotrophic.

Examples include plants, algae, and some types of bacteria. Heterotrophs are known as consumers because they consume producers or other consumers. Dogs, birds, fish, and humans are all examples of heterotrophs.

In other words, most algae are autotrophs or more specifically, photoautotrophs (reflecting their use of light energy to generate nutrients). However, there exist certain algal species that need to obtain their nutrition solely from outside sources; that is, they are heterotrophic.

Why are algae considered plant-like? The main reason is that they contain chloroplasts and produce food through photosynthesis. However, they lack many other structures of true plants. For example, algae do not have roots, stems, or leaves.

Algae are sometimes considered plants and sometimes considered “protists” (a grab-bag category of generally distantly related organisms that are grouped on the basis of not being animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, or archaeans).

“Seaweed” is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.

Definition of Algae vs. Seaweed. While algae are chlorophyll-containing organisms commonly found in aquatic environments such as marine bodies, sea, and even freshwater bodies, seaweed are plant-like organisms that attach themselves to rocks and other hard substances in an aquatic environment.

WHAT ANIMALS EAT SEAWEED? Many invertebrates eat seaweed such as jellyfish, crabs, crustaceans, sea urchins, seals, sea turtles, lobster, crayfish, woodlice, to name a few.

Macroalgae are classified into three major groups: brown algae (Phaeophyceae), green algae (Chlorophyta), and red algae (Rhodophyta).

According to a study in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, kombu is the richest source of iodine, followed by wakame and nori. Kelp powder is also a significant source. The type of seaweed and location in which it was grown can alter the iodine contents.

While seaweeds are classified as macroalgae. There are currently no known poisonous or toxic seaweeds in existence. Incredibly there are only 14 reported deaths ever linked to eating seaweed, and the reports state that it’s not the seaweed itself but bacteria that had grown upon the seaweed.

Edible seaweed can be eaten raw, or used in cooked recipes. Adding either fresh or dried seaweed to your cuisine can add flavor, body, and extra nutrition. Alaria can be cooked just as you would any green leafy vegetable from your garden, and is great with butter and a sprinkle of salt.

Munching on too much dried seaweed — which has become a popular snack food — over a period of time can give you an excess amount of iodine, which overstimulates your thyroid gland. As a result, you can develop a swelling or goiter.

Seaweed should be thoroughly washed at least three times by swirling it in a bowl of water, then lifting it out. In general, boiling it for half an hour and expecting anything remotely palatable won’t work – different seaweeds require vastly different approaches.

Those seaweeds that can be eaten raw can be either eaten fresh (from sea or beach) or dried first and then chewed like jerky. Boiling is preferred in some cases where the seaweeds are bone-dry.

What is another word for seaweed?

Sea kelp has a number of health benefits and a high nutritional value, making it a popular sea plant but it is not the same as seaweed. Seaweed is a term which can be used to describe many different marine-based species of plants and algae. But sea kelp is more specific. It describes the largest subgroup of seaweed.

Based on the current selling price of $ 0.50 per kg of dried seaweed, if you are engaged in a 320 line farm, you can expect to earn about $ 60.00 per week. If you have a bigger farm, let’s say 480 line farm, you can earn up to $ 90.00 per week. This means $ 15.00 to $ 22.50 per each of the four working days.

Purple sea urchins eat kelp at their holdfasts (the parts that attach kelp to the bottom). They can reproduce very quickly. In the north Pacific, the sea otter is the main and only predator of kelp. On the California current, sheephead and spiny lobsters eat kelp too, along with the sea otters.

Kelp is high in antioxidants, including carotenoids and flavonoids, which help fight against disease-causing free radicals. Antioxidant minerals, such as manganese and zinc, help combat oxidative stress and may help protect cardiovascular health and prevent cancer.

Side effects, toxicity, and interactions Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism have been linked to too much kelp intake. This is due to its high amount of iodine. Abnormal thyroid function has also been linked directly to too much use of kelp supplements. Kelp may contain harmful metals.

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that a diet containing kelp seaweed lowered levels of the potent sex hormone estradiol in rats, and raised hopes that it might decrease the risk of estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer in humans.

Besides fucoxanthin, kelp has an impressive omega-3 content that may help reduce anxiety and depression while lowering inflammation and protecting against heart and brain issues. Research has also shown that kelp has potent cancer-fighting capabilities, acting as a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Kelp: No, but don’t take it in supplement form. People with thyroid issues should not have more than an average daily recommended intake of 158 to 175 micrograms of kelp per day, Dr. Nasr says.

Berries including raspberries, strawberries and even blackberries are all a good source of vitamin C which can help in combating stress to a great extent. Low levels of zinc have been linked to both anxiety and depression.

Kelp isn’t only a nutrient-dense food that’s low in fat and calories. Some studies have suggested that kelp may also have a powerful effect on weight loss and obesity, although consistent findings are lacking. The natural fiber alginate found in kelp acts as a fat blocker, stopping the absorption of fat in the gut.

Seaweed: Seaweed is great source of iodine, which helps produce thyroid hormones that helps regulate your metabolism! Some types of seaweed may even have anti-obesity effects because it can increase the amount of calories you burn.

‘Sea Kelp is commonly known to promote hair growth due to its naturally high iodine content which is said to aid normal thyroid function which in turn is often related to hair thinning. So the benefits of sea kelp are more about thyroid regulation, which in turn can be linked to hair loss or thinning locks.