PHYLUM PORIFERA (SPONGES)
• Commonly and informally referred to as "sponges." • Sponges are very effective filter feeders. Digestion in individual cells.
• Porifera means "pore bearing". • They are colorful, beautiful, and either encrusting or free-standing.
• Over 5,000 living sponge species are known. • Most are marine; some live in freshwater ecosystems.
• Are thought to be monophyletic and basal animals. • They filter feed and have no nervous system.
TYPES:
All sponges in general; yet, scientists divide sponges into three classes based on the type of support system each has:
•Demosponges: spicules (needle-like structures in sponges) made of spongin fibers, silica, or both; bath sponges.
•Calcareans: spicules made of calcium carbonate; rough texture.
•Glass sponges: spicules made of silica; looks like spun glass
SYMMETRY
Practically al naturally made sponges (so not Spongebob guys, sorry) are asymmetrical. However, some water flow and body
structures of sponges are radially symmetrical; for example:
Asconoid - primitive and simplistic with radial symmetry. Tube shaped.
Synconoid - Vase-shaped with radial symmetry.
Leuconoid - Highest level of complexity. These sponges can grow large and are asymmetrical.
REPRODUCTION
Sexual and asexual. Most sponges are hermaphroditic, meaning that they function as both female and male in sexual reproduction by producing both sperm and eggs. Yet, the sperm or eggs of another hermaphrodite need to be present in order for true sexual reproduction to occur. Almost all sponges exhibit sequential hermaphroditism; they function first as one sex and then the other. Most sponges are male and female and can play either role. With sexual (external) reproduction, the males sponge releases sperm into the water and enters the female sponge. Once fertilization occurs, a larva releases into the water and it floats until it finds a place to land. Then it stays there and begins to grow as an adult. With asexual reproduction, sponges reproduce through budding, fragmentation, or the production of gemmules (only in freshwater sponges; gemmules are seed-like particles that can survive in extreme environments, as they are protected by a layer of spicules). In budding and fragmentation, a small piece of a sponge is broken off and grows into another sponge.
DO THEY HAVE ORGANS AND TRUE TISSUES?
No! They really are the simplest form of multi-cellular animals. There are no internal organs or muscles; but they do have circulatory and nervous systems. They don't have true tissues, but instead, they are made of two layers of independent cells with a jelly-like layer (made up of amoeba-like cells known as archaeocytes) between the layers.
SPONGES ARE SESSILE!
In other words, sponges attach themselves and stay put. They live permanently attached to a location or substrate in the water. All adult sponges are sessile and unable to move around on their own. However, sponge larva is free floating, so it is not sessile. It only becomes sessile as the larvae matures and plants itself somewhere on solid ground in the ocean.
MY THOUGHTS!
Sponges are pretty cool animals. What? Did I say animals? Yes I did! They are animals but I think they are interesting because they live without a brain or central nervous system. And they are never alone. Sometimes there are over 16,000 animals living inside of them. That's pretty crowded––kind of like New York City! It's crazy that they live for a long time (up to thousands of years). The thing I find most interesting is that sponges aid in the treatment of some disease diseases, like malaria, tuberculosis, and even cancer. Discodermolide, a substance taken from the sponge Discodermia dissoluta breaks down the nuclei of cancer cells and rearrange their microtubules.
• Porifera means "pore bearing". • They are colorful, beautiful, and either encrusting or free-standing.
• Over 5,000 living sponge species are known. • Most are marine; some live in freshwater ecosystems.
• Are thought to be monophyletic and basal animals. • They filter feed and have no nervous system.
TYPES:
All sponges in general; yet, scientists divide sponges into three classes based on the type of support system each has:
•Demosponges: spicules (needle-like structures in sponges) made of spongin fibers, silica, or both; bath sponges.
•Calcareans: spicules made of calcium carbonate; rough texture.
•Glass sponges: spicules made of silica; looks like spun glass
SYMMETRY
Practically al naturally made sponges (so not Spongebob guys, sorry) are asymmetrical. However, some water flow and body
structures of sponges are radially symmetrical; for example:
Asconoid - primitive and simplistic with radial symmetry. Tube shaped.
Synconoid - Vase-shaped with radial symmetry.
Leuconoid - Highest level of complexity. These sponges can grow large and are asymmetrical.
REPRODUCTION
Sexual and asexual. Most sponges are hermaphroditic, meaning that they function as both female and male in sexual reproduction by producing both sperm and eggs. Yet, the sperm or eggs of another hermaphrodite need to be present in order for true sexual reproduction to occur. Almost all sponges exhibit sequential hermaphroditism; they function first as one sex and then the other. Most sponges are male and female and can play either role. With sexual (external) reproduction, the males sponge releases sperm into the water and enters the female sponge. Once fertilization occurs, a larva releases into the water and it floats until it finds a place to land. Then it stays there and begins to grow as an adult. With asexual reproduction, sponges reproduce through budding, fragmentation, or the production of gemmules (only in freshwater sponges; gemmules are seed-like particles that can survive in extreme environments, as they are protected by a layer of spicules). In budding and fragmentation, a small piece of a sponge is broken off and grows into another sponge.
DO THEY HAVE ORGANS AND TRUE TISSUES?
No! They really are the simplest form of multi-cellular animals. There are no internal organs or muscles; but they do have circulatory and nervous systems. They don't have true tissues, but instead, they are made of two layers of independent cells with a jelly-like layer (made up of amoeba-like cells known as archaeocytes) between the layers.
SPONGES ARE SESSILE!
In other words, sponges attach themselves and stay put. They live permanently attached to a location or substrate in the water. All adult sponges are sessile and unable to move around on their own. However, sponge larva is free floating, so it is not sessile. It only becomes sessile as the larvae matures and plants itself somewhere on solid ground in the ocean.
MY THOUGHTS!
Sponges are pretty cool animals. What? Did I say animals? Yes I did! They are animals but I think they are interesting because they live without a brain or central nervous system. And they are never alone. Sometimes there are over 16,000 animals living inside of them. That's pretty crowded––kind of like New York City! It's crazy that they live for a long time (up to thousands of years). The thing I find most interesting is that sponges aid in the treatment of some disease diseases, like malaria, tuberculosis, and even cancer. Discodermolide, a substance taken from the sponge Discodermia dissoluta breaks down the nuclei of cancer cells and rearrange their microtubules.