phytoplankton (ˌfaɪtəˈplæŋktən) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| Compare zooplankton the photosynthesizing organisms in plankton, mainly unicellular algae and cyanobacteria | |
| phytoplanktonic | |
| —adj | |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| phytoplankton (fī'tō-plāngk'tən) Pronunciation Key
Plankton consisting of free-floating algae, protists, and cyanobacteria. Phytoplankton form the beginning of the food chain for aquatic animals and fix large amounts of carbon, which would otherwise be released as carbon dioxide. |