The CU Museum is closed until January 8, 2026.
During this time, collection visits will be available by appointment and other special access requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Please email cumuseum@colorado.edu for more information.
Energy Storage


Like higher plants, algae use photosynthesis to generate energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide. In green algae like closterium, photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast which is easily visible as a large green band in each semi-cell. Here the algae produces starch which is then stored for energy. Additionally, each chloroplast contains pyrenoids, visible as the dark green circles. These little compartments work to fix carbon dioxide in the cell which increases the overall efficiency of the photosynthetic machinery in the cell.
Emily Tellschow
Undergradute Senior
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major
Chemistry minor