 It is a process that depends on the nature of the polysaccharide, polymer concentration, temperature and the ions.K+, Rb+ and Cs+ ions produce strong κ-carrageenan and furcellaran gels, whereas Ca2+ ions aid the gelling of ι-carrageenan (extracted from the cell walls of "C. truncatus").An initial coil-to-helix transition has been observed as the primary change in the gelling process, which is followed by the aggregation of these helices to form a gel.