John Samanya, age 17, of Albany, N. Yo, ?

 What is a volvox?

The volvox is also called the globe animalcule and the rolling algae, Numbers of the tiny creatures band together to form a rolling ball about one fiftieth of an inch across. ,The pale green ball is kept rotating around on its axis. Each little creature puts out a thin, colorless arm to keep the ball rolling.

The home of the volvox is in the sea and the little round colony likes to swim along close to the sunny surface of the water. They are, of course microscopic one‑celled creatures. But there is some dispute as to whether they are simple plants or simple animals. They have been named and claimed by both the botanists and the zoologists.

The botanists treat them as a group of simple green algae. They have given them the family name of Volvoeaceae. The zoologists claim them as protozoans and give them the family name Volvocidae. Small as he is, the little creature has certainly got his share of fancy names.