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Porifera (Sponges)
Sponges are very diverse invertebrates that live under the sea. They come in a large variety of colors, shapes and structural complexities.
779 Questions
What part of the sponge do people use as bath sponges?
a. the flagella
b. the sponge skeleton
c.the hard spicules
Is sponge skeleton
Sponges evolved somewhere between 540 and 600 million years ago, and that's just the ones we know about. In Australia, they have existing species dating back more than 35 million years.
Do sea sponges have back bones?
No. Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Sponges are about the simplest multicelluar organisms around.
What are little whips that move through the sponge?
Little whips are flagella that help pump water through the pores for food.
What is the difference between freshwater and marine sponges. Why is there no terrestrial sponge?
Freshwater sponges are delicate in structure, growing as encrusting or branching masses. They usually appear greenish because of the algae that live on them. Freshwater sponges may attain a volume of more than 2,500 cubic centimeters (150 cubic inches).
Marine sponges are natural bath sponges (with living cells removed) that we all are familiar with. They actually are the oldest and simplest animals that have been living on earth for millions of years. Marine sponges are filter-feeding animals because all adult sponges are sessile and can't move around benthic surface. Marine sponges have no true tissues or organs, just constructed with layers of cells even without nervous system. Marine sponges come in different but striking colors, bright red, purple, yellow, and brown, etc. These colors and some are toxic as well may help them defend from sponge eating invertebrates and some fishes. Some other small marine organisms, fishes, and microscopic organisms often call marine sponges their homes.
There are no terrestrial sponges because they are filter feeders obtain from water particles.
Do sponges have hydrostatic skeletons?
Sponges do not have hydrostatic skeletons. Instead, they possess a simple body structure supported by a matrix called mesohyl, which contains various cells and skeletal elements like spicules and collagen fibers. This structure provides support and helps maintain the sponge’s shape, but it lacks the fluid-filled cavities characteristic of hydrostatic skeletons found in other animals. Thus, sponges rely on a different mechanism for structural support.
they eat random sh** floating in the water such as microcopic organisms. they are filter feeders.
Yes, some sponges do secrete toxins as a defense mechanism against predators and to inhibit the growth of competing organisms. These toxins can vary in chemical composition and potency, and they may have potential applications in medicine, such as in cancer treatment. However, not all sponges produce toxins; many species have evolved different strategies for survival.
