What Do Volvox Eat?

Photosynthesis

• Volvox engage in photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy. The algae uses its capacity to engage in photosynthesis in a selective manner. It can use this capacity to support new cells. Volvox have a small number of reproduction-oriented cells, called germ cells, and larger numbers of cells that don't reproduce, called somatic cells.

Minerals

• These algae also move around with the help of their flagella to find mineral nutrients in the ponds or lakes they live in. These include substances such as phosphate and nitrate. The volvox absorb these sorts of minerals from the water. This helps them go about their activities, such as growth and reproduction.

Moving to Find Food

• Volvox's somatic cells help the organism move around better in search of nutrition. These cells provide a secretion that help to expand the algae. The division of labor between the organism's reproductive and non-reproductive cells helps the volvox grow bigger and move around faster. This helps them avoid predators and also go deeper in the water to find nutrients.

Volvox Reproduction

• Volvox reproduce both sexually and asexually. In the asexual reproduction process, one cell breaks up into a number of cells. This creates a new volvox colony that is released as the cell's outer surface breaks. In the volvox sexual reproduction process, some of its larger cells become the egg cells while some other cells serve as sperm cells. After the fertilization process takes place, the cells divide into a larger number of cells that form a new colony.