Heterotrophic picoplankton

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Heterotrophic picoplankton is the fraction of plankton composed by cells between 0.2 and 2 μm that do not perform photosynthesis. They form an important component of many biogeochemical cycles.[1]

Cells can be either:

  • prokaryotes

Archaea form a major part of the picoplankton in the Antarctic and are abundant in other regions of the ocean.[2] Archaea have also been found in freshwater picoplankton, but do not appear to be so abundant in these environments.[3]

Nucleic acid content in cells

Biogeochemical cycling

References

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