Table of Contents
Does a Volvox have organs?
In a way, Volvox exhibits a relatively streamlined type of multicellularity. It possesses just two cell types, and these cells are not organized into tissues or organs.
What is unique about the Volvox?
Volvox is a Chlorophyte, or green alga. It exists as a grand spherical colony. Each little alga within the colony bears two flagella, whip-like hairs. This differentiation of cells make Volvox quite unique.
What kind of cell is Volvox?
Volvox, genus of some 20 species of freshwater green algae (division Chlorophyta) found worldwide. Volvox form spherical or oval hollow colonies that contain some 500 to 60,000 cells embedded in a gelatinous wall and that are often just visible with the naked eye.
What characteristics do volvox have in common with other protists?
Volvox are protists that live in colonies, or groups of organisms living together. They are both autotrophs and heterotrophs. They use their eyespot to detect light when they undergo photosynthesis. They also have tails, or flagella, they use to move the colony.
Does Volvox have Pyrenoids?
Volvox is a motile green algal colony composed of 500-50,000 cells arranged along the periphery of a hollow mucilaginous sphere. Like Chlamydomonas, each spherical or ovoid cell has two equal flagella with a pair of contractile vacuoles at their base and a large cup-shaped chloroplast with a single pyrenoid.
What are some potential dangers of the volvox?
Volvox does not make people sick in of itself; however, it can harbor a bacteria called Vibrio cholerae, which can cause cholera.
Is Volvox a diatom?
Volvox species can be monoecious or dioecious. Male colonies release numerous sperm packets, while in female colonies single cells enlarge to become oogametes, or eggs.
What are the characteristics of Volvox?
Volvox 1 Scientific Classification 2 Structure. The individual cells of Volvox are 16.25 µm in length, which may vary according to species. 3 Characteristics. Most species can be viewed only under a microscope due to their small size, except a few that can be as big as 1 mm in diameter. 4 Biological and Economic Importance.
What is the sexual reproduction in Volvox?
The sexual reproduction in Volvox is oogamous type. Some species of Volvox e.g., V. globator are monoecious or homothallic (Fig. 3) i.e., the antheridia and oogonia develop on same colony. Other Volvox species e.g., V. rousseletii are dioecious or heterothallic i.e., antheridia and oogonia develop on different colonies.
What is the size of a volvox ball?
A volvox ball or colony is usually a cluster of 500-50,000 cells. These colonies have an ovoid or spherical hollow shape which ranges from 100-6000 µm. A large volvox colony could be as big as a pinhead size.
What are the types of Volvox cells?
There are three types of Volvox cells: vegetative cells, asexual reproductive cells, and sexual reproductive cells. Vegetative cells are somatic cells that form the shell of Volvox ball. Each vegetative cell has two flagella and is attached to each other with cytoplasmic strands. Volvoxes can reproduce both asexually and sexually.