Algae
Algae are a diverse group of simple organisms that mainly consist of carbohydrates, oils and proteins. They are simple photosynthetic organisms. The term photosynthetic means that they use sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates and grow. All parts of most algae can be used and processed to become a biofuel. Biofuel is a fuel made from living things, or the waste of a living thing. The algae oils can be converted to biodiesel and the remaining material can be used to create bioethanol. There is a growing market for techniques in algae biofuel production, since it is a low life-cycle carbon emitting fuel.
Algae grown for the energy sector is also referred to as microalgae. While there are other important distinctions in biology, generally, the microalgae grown for its energy is algae that is too small to make out individual organisms without a microscope, hence the name.