Hydra with green symbiotic algae

Kingdom: Animal, Protist
Scientific Name: Hydra
Image Courtesy of: McGowan, Catherine
Image Width: 100 microns
Image Technology: Light Microscopy

This brilliant green organism is a hydra with green, photosynthetic algae in it. Hydras are simple animals. This freshwater hydra and the algae live together in a symbiosis. The hydra protects the bacteria from the environment and the algae provide the hydra with sugar from symbiosis. The algae also supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.