Phospholipid-derived fatty acids microbial classes when in fact those PLFAs are present in a broad range of life forms. Phospholipids can occur in many biological classes (such as in plant roots, fungi, as well as in soil bacteria), so care has to be taken in over-assigning PLFA biomarkers to the wrong class. Even though phospholipids occur in many different life forms, the fatty acid side chains between differing life forms can be quite unique. Polyunsaturated fatty acids ("e.g." 18:3 ω3c) are found in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, but are often not present in bacteria. Monounsaturated fatty acids (particularly at the omega-7 position), odd-chain
Algae organic carbon either by osmotrophy, myzotrophy, or phagotrophy. Some unicellular species of green algae, many golden algae, euglenids, dinoflagellates, and other algae have become heterotrophs (also called colorless or apochlorotic algae), sometimes parasitic, relying entirely on external energy sources and have limited or no photosynthetic apparatus. Some other heterotrophic organisms, such as the apicomplexans, are also derived from cells whose ancestors possessed plastids, but are not traditionally considered as algae. Algae have photosynthetic machinery ultimately derived from cyanobacteria that produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, unlike other photosynthetic bacteria such as purple and green sulfur bacteria. Fossilized filamentous algae