Astrephomene
| Astrephomene | |
|---|---|
| Astrephomene gubernaculifera | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Chlorophyceae |
| Order: | Chlamydomonadales |
| Family: | Goniaceae |
| Genus: | Astrephomene Pocock |
| Species | |
| |
Astrephomene is a genus of green algae in the family Goniaceae, order Chlamydomonadales. The genus was first discovered in 1937 by Mary Pocock and later named by Pocock in 1953. The name comes from the Classical Greek roots a- (meaning "not") and strephomene (meaning "turning itself"), referring to its mode of reproduction. To date, the genus contains two species.
Astrephomene is a member of the volvocine algae, a group of algae that are a model organism. Volvocine algae are used to study the origins and evolution of multicellularity. The genome of Astrephomene gubernaculifera has been sequenced.