Volvex development

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The Development of Volvox Carteri : An Insight into the Evolution of Multi-cellularity

Volvox carteri is a multi-cellular chlorophyte alga belonging to the volvicene group of algae . Morphologically , V . carteri is composed of two cell types : a mortal somatic cell and an immortal germ cell called gonidia . The mortal somatic cells are small biflagellate with a fixed number of chlorophyll and incapable of reproduction . They number at approximately 2000 , line the external sphere of the organism and differentiated specifically for movement . The

gonidia , on the other hand , number around 16 and are much larger compared to the somatic cells . They are incapable of movement and are primarily designed for growth reproductive purposes

V . carteri has a 48-hour life cycle that allows for easy laboratory culture and includes an embryogenesis program that features many similarities with animal and plant development . These features include embryonic axis formation , asymmetric cell division , a gastrulation-like inversion , and differentiation of germ and somatic cells which make the organism a frequent object of study . It is closely related to another member of the volvocine algal group named Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , a unicellular member of the taxa . Due to this relation and its simple structure , V . carteri is often the subject or specimen of choice in studies focused on germ-differentiation and evolution of multi-cellularity

One such study is the research conducted by Kirk et al . which focuses on a specific Volvox gene (labeled as regA ) long accepted to have a central role in...