Protoviramoeba endocyton



P. endocyton is an interesting species, as it lacks the ability to make its own organelles due to an error in its DNA. In order to maintain the proper functions required to live, P. endocyton must instead steal them from other cells. This has lead to the existence of a rather unique life cycle for the species.

Before undergoing binary fission, a P. endocyton will enter a larger cell via the process of phagocytosis. Once it is inside of the host cell, P. endocyton will undergo binary fission, with the daughter cell being an almost empty cell containing cytoplasm and the DNA. Once binary fission is complete, the daughter cell will absorb the organelles of the host cell before the daughter and parent cell burst out of the host cell, killing it.

Once P. endocyton replicates and absorbs the host cells, it essentially functions like a regular cell. Its lack of specialization in the type of host cell leads to a wide variety of organelles being absorbed by daughter cells, some absorb organelles from producers and gain the ability to photosynthesize while others absorb organelles from consumers and become consumers themselves. Despite acting like normal cells once they absorb the organelles from a host, the inability to make them means that once it is time for it to divide again it must seek out a new host.