The Volvocaceae are a family of unicellular or colonial biflagellates, including the typical genus Volvox. The family was named by Ehrenberg in 1834, and is known in older classifications as the Volvocidae. Originally it included all the colonial forms here grouped as the Volvocales, but since has been restricted to the spherical colonies, which form as a flat plate of cells and undergo a process of gastrulation before being released. These organisms have been studied by geneticists who hope that they may shed light on gastrulation in the development of other organisms, including humans.
