Final answer:
Green algae, more specifically Charophytes, are the microorganisms most closely related to plants due to shared ancestry and similarities in morphology, reproduction, and chlorophyll content.
Step-by-step explanation:
The microorganism most closely related to plants is the green algae. Specifically, the subcategory of green algae known as Charophytes shares a recent common ancestor with land plants, making them the closest relatives. Charophytes resemble land plants not only in morphology but also in reproductive strategies, chlorophyll content, and the carbohydrate storage mode. While other algae such as red algae, brown algae, and cyanobacteria exhibit certain similarities to plants, such as photosynthetic pigments and cellular structures, it is the green algae that are most similar, particularly at the genomic and biochemical level.