Volvox carteri is a species
of colonial green algae that exhibits a unique form of sexual reproduction
called oogamy. Oogamy is a type of anisogamy, where the gametes (reproductive
cells) produced by the species are of two different sizes and types, known as
male and female gametes or sperm and eggs, respectively.
In Volvox carteri, the
reproductive colonies are typically composed of many cells arranged in a hollow
sphere, with individual cells called "somatic cells" forming the
outer layer of the colony and a smaller number of specialized cells called "gonidia"
located in the interior. Gonidia are the reproductive cells of Volvox carteri
and are responsible for sexual reproduction.
The sexual reproduction in
Volvox carteri begins when the gonidia undergo a process called "gonidial
cleavage," during which they divide repeatedly to produce small, motile
cells called "sperm packets." These sperm packets are released from
the gonidia and swim freely in the water, seeking female colonies to fertilize.
The female colonies of
Volvox carteri, also composed of somatic cells and gonidia, are larger and more
stationary compared to the smaller, motile male colonies. When a sperm packet
encounters a female colony, it releases individual sperm cells, which then
penetrate the female colony and fertilize the eggs produced by the gonidia.
Fertilized eggs develop into new colonies, which are released into the
environment to repeat the reproductive cycle.
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