From a Colony of Cells to an Organism

Cell Specialization *UPDATED*

This section is still a bit iffy but recently several sparks of ideas, sketches, simplification of real life systems and processes has led me to the following.
Whether this section will be handled manually or by auto evo (TBD), this is what we have so far.
Specialized cells in early Multicellular gameplay will be different to those of single celled gameplay.
As of now, here is a big old list of the types of cells that can form (Or be placed) in your colony.

Locomotive cells:
Cells that have certain organelles that specialize in movement.

Pseudopodia:
Cells that can change their shape to allow movement IE. Amoeba, White blood cells.

Types/Functions of Pseudopodia:

Creepers: Allow slug like movement at a low energy cost for surrounding/attached cells.
+ Slow Localized movement
- Small ATP

Engulfers: In large colonies, can break off from the colony and 'engulf' any parasitic or harmful cell in the organism by Phagocytosis (Basically a fundamental white blood cell).
+Immune response, or increases health/disease resistance.
- Small ATP

Ciliates:
Round cells covered in hundereds of small, fine thread-like cilia.

Types/Functions of Ciliates:

Beaters - Cilia beats to allow motion to the cell and cells within a radius attached to it., but it is not as effective as Wrigglers.
+ Medium Localized movement
- Medium ATP

Pushers - In large colonies, when lining a small tube-section of a colony, they can beat to push food along the tube.
+ Digestive efficiency
+ Function
- Medium ATP


Flagellates:
Egg-shaped cells with a long, mobile whip like thread called a Flagella.

Types/Functions of Flagellates:

Wrigglers - The flagella is beat back and forth to allow motion to the cell and cells within a radius attached to it.
+ Fast localized movement
- Large ATP

Anglers - In large colonies, the flagella is covered in an adhesive substance and can stick to food particles or prey and pull it towards the cell.
+ Energy from food
+ Function
- Large ATP



Physiological Cells:
Cells which deal with digestion, ATP production, waste, and metabolic functions.

Secretory Cells:
Longs vase shaped cells with an organelle at one end which secretes special fluids in the pointed direction. (Essentially gland cells).

Types/Functions of Secretory Cells:

Digesters: Secrete fluids/enzymes which break down food particles.
+ Function
+ Digestive efficiency

Odourants: Secrete a fluid which repels larger organisms (Or organisms of a certain type)
+ Function
- Medium ATP

Chummers: Secrete a fluid which attracts smaller organisms (Or certain types of organisms)
+Function
- Medium ATP

Absorbers:
Grooved box-shaped cells (More surface area for diffusion) which absorb certain materials.

Types/Functions of Absorbers:

Eaters: Absorb all food material in a radius and convert it to ATP
+ Large ATP

Breathers: ONLY in large colonies, absorb oxygen from outside of colony and transport to the interior cells for respiration. (At this scale it can be done under the hood, could be displayed as vein like structures forming)
+ Function
+ ATP gained from food

Offensive and Defensive Cells
Any cells concerned with the defense or offense of the colony. This section contains many different types of cells.

Shield Cells:
Tube shaped cells which are used defensively.

Types/Functions of Shield Cells:

Platers: Have a thick membrane which is very hard to break, can form shells when placed around other cells.
+ Colony Health/Defense
+ Function

Stinging Cells
Contain a sub organelle called a cnida which can inject poison into any cell that touches it.

Types/Functions of Stinging cells:

Stingers: Inflict damage to all organelles in the victim cell.
+ Function
- Medium ATP

Dissolvers: Break down the inside of the victim cell for digestion
+ Function
- Medium ATP

Paralyzers: Immobilise the victim cell.
+ Function
- Medium ATP

Sensory Cells
These are cells which account for senses such as heat, light, chemicals etc

Eye cells:
Oval cells, sensitive to light, give the player a light sensor and a wider FOV, and a warning if the light becomes to dim (for photosynthetics) or too intense.
+ Light Sensor

Thermo cells:
Disc shaped cells, sensitive to heat, give the player a heat sensor and a warning system if the temperature is too cold or too hot.
+ Heat sensor

pH Cells:
Bullet shaped cells, sensitive to extreme pH levels, be they low or high. Adds a warning system.
+Chemical sensor

Feelers:
Long, thin cells, a very simple version of a nerve cell, gives the colony a sensitivity to large vibrations in the water. Can help increase awareness of larger organisms.
+ Presence awareness bar



Reproductive Cells
The aforementioned 'Sharing Cell' has undergone some modifications.

Hormone Cell
When the colony is old enough, the hormone cells will activate, releasing hormones into the surrounding area. These hormones will attract another of your species with which you can mate sexually. At this stage (if your colony is small enough) you can also asexually reproduce, by 'budding' you mating cells, forming colonies identical to your current one. Why you'd do this, I don't know. I guess if you can't find a mate or if you are close to death.

Mating Cells
These mating cells, when active will be able to exchange DNA with other mating cells as long as they are the same species. If your colony has more than one mating cell they can asexually reproduce. If you have released hormones to attract a mate you can sexually reproduce with them by connecting the mating cells and activating them. When the two cells are together they will fuse (Giving the full chromosome number) and form what is essentially a zygote.

Depending on whats happening with Auto-Evo or the OE,

Auto-Evo:
This zygote will divide, and as it does so it will offer certain traits such as "Increase Plater Thickness" Or "Increase Plater Count", giving you various options to add or decrease certain traits/cells to your liking.

OE:
Your colony will be opened up in the colony editor. Here you can spend "Diversity Points - (A number determined by how many times your whole colony died, how many cells in your colony died, and basically the population size of your species and thus the likeliness of mutations) on things such as new cells, new traits, and improvements of existing cells.

Ok. SO its not really 100%. There is HEAPS to add, and heaps to work out and simplify for effective gameplay.

You will notice that I have seriously stripped down the types of cells and left out many key functional cells. This is because a lot of them can be done behind the scenes and/or later in the game when you are not viewing them at a cellular level (Things such as nervous systems or muscle cells).
I have also given them names that the common gamer can associate with a function as opposed to the full on confusing scientific names. I have sorted them under a not-so-good type setting as opposed to function (IE Flagellates as opposed to Movement cells).

Tropical Pelagic

- Where: The Pelagic zone, in tropical waters (Open water, close to surface, far from shore)

- Elevation: 0-200m below sea level.

- Resoruces: Salt water

- Climate: Tropical

- Topography: None, too small to survive deep water pressures, just open water.

- Biodiversity: Large

- Niches for autotrophs:

Phytoplankton
Autotrophic, prokaryotic organisms that live near the water surface where there is sufficient light to support photosynthesis. (Like diatoms, cyanobacteria etc). (Anything that has assimilated lots of Light Eaters, and is single celled)
Scale: Single celled - Tiny/Miniscule (Invisible/green goop to anything larger than a small organism)


- Trophic levels for heterotrophs:

Protozoic Zooplankton - protozoans that feed on phytoplankton and other protozoic zoolplankton.
Scale: Single celled - Tiny/Miniscule (Invisible to anything larger than a small organism)

Metazoic Zooplankton - Multicellular planktic organisms that feed on Protozoic Zooplankton and Phytoplankton.
Scale: Tiny (1-20cm)

Small Feeders - Feed on Metazoic Zooplankton
Scale: Small (20-100cm)

Large Feeders - Carnivores which feed on Small feeders, some filter feeders, and each-other.
Scale: Midsize-Large

Filter Feeders - Feed on all planktic life-forms.
Scale: Midsize-Gargantuan (Like manta-rays, Basking sharks and Whales).


- Others:
This is a primary Biome, and can be selected as the first biome that a single celled organism will begin in. When you enter full-3D organism stage, you will not of course be able to see the single celled organisms. Phytoplankton density will appear as a green goop, small metazoic zooplankton will appear as small moving white specs (Like krill).