Susswasserflora von Mitteleuropa bd 19/2

Cyanoprokaryotes are probably the oldest organisms with plant metabolism. However, their cell structure and type of asexual reproduction prove their eubacterial origin. In spite of their existence from Precambrian onwards they have not lost their vitality, and still are able to colonize all possible biotopes, including very extreme environments (thermal springs up to 80 degreeC, rocks in extremely hot or cold deserts in both the tropics and Antarctica, hypersaline lakes and marshes, biotopes in volcanic regions, and other harsh habitats). This book is a review of all the cyanoprokaryotic taxonomic units, registered and recognizable from European natural biotopes, including the marine coasts. Our determination keys and taxonomic descriptions should permit the identification of natural populations, and should be related to known culture material. Numerous strains were isolated, kept in strain collections and used as important model organisms for experiments of various kinds.In culture only a few cyanoprokaryotes show the typical growth form known from nature, most others can be made to display their typical forms and life cycles by special procedures only. The identification of strai