Template:Short description Chrysophyta or golden algae is a term used to refer to certain heterokonts.
It can be used to refer to:
- Chrysophyceae (golden algae), Bacillariophyceae (diatoms), and Xanthophyceae (yellow-green algae) together.<ref name="urlChrysophyta">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> E.g., Pascher (1914).<ref>Pascher A (1914). "Über Flagellaten und Algen". Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft 32: 136–160.</ref>
- Chrysophyceae (golden algae)<ref name="urlIntroduction to the Chrysophyta">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> E.g., Margulis et al. (1990).<ref>Margulis, L., J.O. Corliss, M. Melkonian, D.J. Chapman. Handbook of Protoctista. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston, 1990.</ref> Chrysophyta has some characteristics which includes their possession of the photosynthetic pigments which are chlorophylls a and c, they also possess a yellow carotenoid called fucoxanthin, this is responsible for their unique and characteristic color. They also store food as oil and not starch, their cells contain no cellulose and are often impregnated with silicon compounds. Each species has its own special markings.