The Volvox: A Love Story

Looking back on myself as a bumbling freshman, I consider myself to have been one who held very few interests that intersected in any way with the academic studies undertaken in the high school environment. However, there are always exceptions to any standard set in place by The Man, and my exception was the Volvox.

Formerly unaware of the existence of this fascinating microorganism, I felt a fleeting spark of interest enter my mind when my Biology teacher first introduced to me this Volvox thing. It all began with a black and white diagram on a piece of printer paper, detail skewed and significance muffled by the grey residue which accompanies an image copied many times over. That, and a brief description of what the basic functions of a volvox include, a synopsis of its reproductive abilities, and other minor details concerning its existence.

In comparison to the multitude of other microorganisms we were studying, all of which accompanied the Volvox on the sheet of paper, one would think the volvox was as typical as its diminutive counterparts. However, I had an inclination that there just might be something special about this one, and thoughts of the volvox engulfed my brain for the remainder of the lecture.

We had the opportunity to see the microorganism of our choice by means of a microscope slide, and I knew what had to be done. I strode to my teacher’s desk and asked boldly if I could view the Volvox. She handed me a microscope slide which help a single drop of water in the center, which was plastered underneath a protective sheet. As I made my way toward a microscope, a great exhilaration passed over me and into the volvoxes which inhabited the slide I grasped with my fingertips.

I felt as if I wasn’t yet worthy of the honor of observing such a creature, shrouded in magnificence. After all, I had only read about them. Yes, I had seen the basic diagram, but I thought myself no expert in the ways of the Volvox. My hands were practically shaking. I was about to meet the Volvox, and I was thrilled.

I became further intrigued with the Volvox from the moment I laid eyes on it through the microscope eyepiece. The way they rolled around so blissfully- the effortless, soothing motion- in company with their almost fluorescent yellow-green hue was somehow breathtaking and charming. It was algae working in tandem, groups of cells coexisting together to create one being. It was a colony. It was brotherhood. And it was beautiful.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I stared with enchanted incredulity for a long while, mesmerized by the rhythmic revolutions of the round chlorophytes, until, unfortunately, I had to return to my work. But I will never forget and will remain forever changed by my enlightening day with the Volvox.