microalga

noun

mi·​cro·​al·​ga ˌmī-krō-ˈal-gə 

plural microalgae ˌmī-krō-ˈal-(ˌ)jē 

: a minute alga (such as a diatom or chlorella) that is not visible to the unaided eye

Dinoflagellates, along with diatoms and a dozen other forms of microalgae, serve as the very bottom of the food chain and, at 450 million to a billion years old, are among the most primitive forms of life on this planet.

—Patrick Huyghe

This green microalga grows in fresh and brackish water.

—Meghan Sapp

compare macroalga

Examples of microalga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One is a waste product left over after another type of omega-3 fatty acid, called EPA, has been extracted from the microalga for use in human nutritional supplements. —Pallab Sarker, The Conversation, 14 Dec. 2020

The bun was enriched with chlorella, a microalga, and the sauce laced with sea lettuce, another common algae. —Marta Zaraska, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2019

Word History

Etymology

micro- + alga

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above