Dinoflagellates are predictable when it comes to the area of storage materials. They store food products whenever possible and store biological nutrients whenever abundant in the surrounding environment.
Food Reserves:
Dinoflagellates are able to store both polysaccharides and fats.
The lipids and the starch tend to orient themselves in opposite ends of
the cell yet exist freely within the cytoplasm.
Starch reserves are increased immediately before encystment.
Food reserves are not the only storage products of Dinoflagellates,
biological nutrients are stored as well (Taylor 1987).
Biological Nutrient Reserves:
In the presence of excess biological nutrients, Dinoflagellates have the ability to store these nutrients in reserves. The Pyrocystis vacuolar sap has the ability to store excess ammonia, as well as nitrate, when available. If phosphorous is in excess in the surrounding environment it can also be stored in reserves for later use (Taylor 1987). Dinoflagellates obtain phosphorous from organic phosphates by separating it enzymatically from the organic substrate. This separation is performed by alkaline phosphatase, which is present within Dinoflagellates in estuarine as well as freshwater environments (Taylor 1987).
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