The somatic cells commit suicide by a process known as apoptosis — programmed cell death — that I wrote about here. This process involves a minimum of several novel genes as well.
…among the simplest animals to have more than one cell type
is cringe-worthy: Volvox is no more an animal than is a tomato:
Earlybird registration for the Third International Volvox Conference is open until next Friday, May 15. This year’s meeting is August 19-22 at the University of Cambridge and features Prof. Pauline Schaap FRSE as the guest speaker. The meeting is directly followed by the 6th European Phycological Congress in London, August 23-28.