3 or 4 times, thus producing 2"n" daughter cells, or 4, 8 or 16 cells within the colony. Unlike Chlamydomonas where each of the daughter cells separate from each other, Gonium daughter cells remain attached to each other in their ECM. The sexual cycle of Gonium is also very similar to that of Chlamydomonas. The sexual program of Gonium is induced by nitrogen deprivation where each vegetative cell within the colony differentiates in gametes. Gonium gametes are isogomous, or equal-sized, and unicellular. Thus unicellular Gonium gametes break apart from the multicellular colonies when the sexual program is initiated. Also like Chlamydomonas, there are two "sexes", plus or minus controlled by a genes homologous to those found in Chlamydomonas and Volvox''. References External links Gonium - Description with pictures Michod Lab - Research overview of Dr. Richard Michod at the University of Arizona who studies multicellular evolution and whose lab published a detailed phylogenetic tree of the Volvocales VIP - The Volvocales Information Project led by Dr. Aurora M. Nedelcu at University of New Brunswick Olson Lab - Dr. Bradley Olson at Kansas State University who studies multicellular evolution with methods for growing Gonium Nozaki Lab - Dr. Hisayoshi Nozaki at the University of Tokoyo who studies multicellular evolution and has cultured many Volvocales strains, including Gonium Hallman Lab - Dr. Armin Hallman at Bielefeld University whose lab developed a method for transforming Gonium UTEX - The UTEX algal culture collection which houses many Gonium strains including pictures CCAP - The CCAP algal culture collection which houses many Gonium strains including pictures Chlamydomonadales genera Chlamydomonadales