Producers of oxygen

Question

Are plants the only producers of oxygen?

(I know algae aren't plants, but also produce oxygen, but asides them)

Do mushrooms,other fungi, and plantlike organisms also produce oxygen?

Algae are plants. Chlorophyll comes in at least 2 colors , green and red. — blacksmith37, Feb 12 '20 at 16:56
It is estimated that around 80% of world's oxygen is produced by phytoplanktons l, which are very tiny sea plants. — 4-K, Feb 13 '20 at 16:17

Bamboo · Accepted Answer · 2020-02-12T11:41:51.280

2

Fungi don't produce oxygen; however, because the mycorrhizae of many types of fungi (occurring naturally in the ground) assist other plants such as trees to grow, they do help to produce oxygen that way, but it's their assistance with other, photosynthetic plants' growth rather than a direct role in oxygen production. Essentially, it's the process of photosynthesis that produces oxygen - it's a by product of it. Algae, phytoplankton (including cyanobacteria), lichen and mosses, because of photosynthesis, do produce oxygen. http://mosscontrol.ie/behaviour-of-algae-lichen-mosses/

edited Feb 12 '20 at 11:41

answered Feb 12 '20 at 11:01

Bamboo

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So only things that go through photosynthesis produce oxygen? – Coding4el Feb 12 '20 at 11:26
Essentially, yes. A large percentage of the earth's oxygen is produced from phytoplankton in the oceans, via photosynthesis – Bamboo Feb 12 '20 at 11:31
Thank you! I'll pass my test now – Coding4el Feb 12 '20 at 11:40
Ah - its not general policy on this site to assist in exam questions - the feeling is, its very easy for students to garner the information they need from actually learning and studying themselves (always best, you're more likely to remember it ongong), so if you'd said this was a test question, you would not have got this answer... – Bamboo Feb 12 '20 at 11:43
I know, I'm not cheating. I read "Plants produce oxygen" and I thought "Only plants?" Ididn't mean to say my test - I rushed typing - I mean't to say "Now I understand" – Coding4el Feb 12 '20 at 16:00
Its fine by me personally either way, especially if it increases understanding. – Bamboo Feb 12 '20 at 18:55

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 12 '20 at 13:07

Note: we have a sister site about biology, if you want more detailed answers you should go there.

No, not all plants produce oxygen: you need chlorophyll, so plants that are green. There are few plants which lost chlorophyll, because they found it is easier to parasite other plants (e.g. some genus in Orobanchaceae and in Orchid). They are not so seldom, just ugly so you will seldom find them in gardens (but one likes ivy, and ivy gardens are used as "low maintenance", so...).

Algae produces oxygens, some are "green algae", so considered often as "plant" (not well defined word), but there are also other algae, often considered as vegetables (vegetable kingdom), but not as plant.

Lichens also produce oxygens: they are a symbiotic life (but genetically split) between an algae and a fungi.

Thanks. This adds more info to me – Coding4el Feb 12 '20 at 15:59 — Coding4el, Feb 12 '20 at 15:59

Producers of oxygen

2 Answers2