Micrasterias thomasiana Little star
Want to see a star? You’d probably look up at the night sky. But under the microscope, you can also find stars—like Micrasterias thomasiana.
Little star
Some microbes are named after their discoverer or the place they were first found. Others are named for their shape. Micrasterias belongs to the latter group—its name comes from the Greek for ‘little star’. And one look under the microscope tells you why: this microbe looks just like a tiny, radiant star.
Graceful
Micrasterias is part of the Desmidiales group, also known as desmids or ‘ornamental algae’—with good reason. These single-celled algae are remarkably symmetrical and come in a wide variety of elegant forms. Because many desmids have very specific preferences for the environments they grow in and are easily recognisable, scientists often use them to assess water quality.
Artistic division
Not only is Micrasterias graceful in appearance, it also reproduces in a remarkably elegant way. During cell division, the star-shaped alga splits neatly in two. From the former centre, a new half grows back—forming a near-perfect copy. Not even the stars in the sky can match that precision.
Curious to learn more about microbes?
Micrasterias is just one of the many microbes you can discover at ARTIS-Micropia. Each of these microscopic organisms plays a unique and vital role in the world. Visit us and explore them all!