Céllals

Céllals is a term used in speculative biology and science fiction to denote a class of modular organisms that can exhibit both unicellular and multicellular organization. The name derives from cellula, meaning small cell, and the plural céllals.

A céllal consists of repeating units called célls, each self-contained and capable of basic metabolism and communication; coordination among célls yields a collective that can differentiate into functional subtypes.

Céllals reproduce primarily by fragmentation or budding of individual célls, which can disperse and seed new colonies. Under favorable conditions, colonies grow through recruitment and intercellular signaling; under stress, some célls detach to form new colonies.

In speculative scenarios, céllals illustrate routes by which multicellularity could evolve through increasing cooperation among units rather than the growth of a single organism. They are discussed as theoretical models and appear in science-fiction literature as a recurring motif for modular life forms.

There is no empirical evidence for céllals as a real biological lineage. The concept remains a theoretical construct used to explore questions about modularity and collective life. It is not part of established biology but draws conceptual parallels with colonial organisms and aggregative multicellularity.