Аннотация:Issues related to evolution of algal chloroplasts are considered. The position of algae on the Tree ofLife is discussed. Algae are now included in five of the monophyletic eukaryotic supergroups: Archaeplastida(Glaucocystophyta, Rhodophyta, Prasinodermophyta, Chlorophyta, and Charophyta), TSAR (Ochrophyta;Dinophyta; Chlorarachniophyta; and photosynthetic species of the genera Chromera, Vetrella, and Paulinella), Haptista (Prymnesiophyta and Rappemonads), Cryptista (Cryptophyta), and Discoba (Euglenophyta). The algal divisions and the respective supergroups are characterized in brief.