[6] Volvox carteri is a significant model organism for research into the evolution of multicellularity and organismal complexity, largely due to its simple differentiation into two cell types, versatility in controlled laboratory environments, and natural abundance.

[7] Volvox carteri is a useful model organism for understanding the evolution and developmental genetics of cellular differentiation, in part because asexual colonies possess only two cell types.

Approximately 2000 biflagellated somatic cells form a monolayer at the surface of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cannot divide, rendering them mortal.

[8] Gonidia, by contrast, are immobile, embedded in the ECM interior, and are potentially immortal due to their ability to divide and participate in reproduction.

[8] Three key genes are known to play significant roles in the somatic-gonidium dichotomy: glsA (gonidialess A); regA (regenerator A); and lag (late gonidia).

[10] Gls mutants do not experience asymmetric division, a key component for creating gonidia, and thus are composed only of somatic swimming cells.

[12] The regA geneencodes a single 80 amino acid-long DNA-binding SAND domain[13] that is expressed in somatic cells after embryonic development.

[21][22][23] These findings lend support to the general idea that a principal adaptive function of sex is repair of DNA damages.