What is Chlamydomonas?

Chlamydomonas is a genus of unicellular green algae belonging to the class Chlorophyceae. It is characterized by its motility, facilitated by two anterior flagella. The cells are typically spherical to cylindrical and contain a cup-shaped chloroplast with a single large pyrenoid. Chlamydomonas is widely distributed in freshwater, seawater, and even snow environments. It serves as a model organism in biological research due to its simple structure and genetic tractability.