How are seaweeds different from plants?
Algae are very different from normal land plants. Although both have chlorophyll, algae don’t have true roots, stems and leaves. Algae don’t have a system of channels to move water around their body (called a vascular system) that ‘normal’ plants do. Seaweeds can take all kinds of shapes from filaments to sheets, encrusting layers to branching forms. Seaweed parts: Although some seaweeds may look like some land plants or seagrasses, the body parts of these seaweeds work differently. So seaweed body parts are named differently. Some seaweeeds have a leaf-like portion. This is called the blade. Sometimes, reproductive structures are also found on the blade. The blade does not contain veins that transport water and nutrients, so it is not a true leaf. The blade can take on a wide variety of shapes; from flat large surfaces that resemble pieces of plastic bags; to narrow strips, hairy filaments or thick juicy tubes. The stem-like portion that holds up the blade is called the stipe. The par
