Genetics
Most brown algae have basic chromosome numbers of between 8 and 13, that give them the features they possess.
The algae you see to the left is Sargassum, and the small berry-like objects are gas filled bladders that keep the algae floating near the surface. Two of the main free-floating species of Sargassum are Sargassum natans and Sargassum fluitans, which evolved from the other species that are anchored to rocks or the sea-floor. This is an interesting gene because it keeps the photosynthetic part of the algae near the surface, giving it more light available to absorb and convert to energy.
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