A simple plant-like organism that lives in water and makes its own food using sunlight, like seaweed or pond scum.
From Latin 'alga' meaning 'seaweed,' possibly from a Celtic root. The word entered English through scientific Latin during the Renaissance when scientists began classifying aquatic organisms.
Algae are so tiny and simple we forget they produce about 70% of Earth's oxygen—they're literally the lungs of the planet, yet most people think they're just pond scum!
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