What is a Sponge?
Definition: an animal phylum comprising the sponges
Definition: an animal phylum comprising the sponges
Body Plan:
Sponges are asymmetrical; they have no front or back ends, and no left or right sides. Thought of as a large, cylindrical water pump. The movement of water through the sponge provides a simple mechanism for feeding, respiration, circulation, and excretion. Sponges have a simple skeleton. Feeding:
Sponges are filter feeders that sift microscopic food particles from the water. Digestion is intracellular, meaning that it takes place inside cells. Respiration, Excretion & Circulation: Sponges rely on the movement of water through their bodies to carry out body functions. As water moves through the body cavity, oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into the surrounding cells. At the same time, carbon dioxide and other wastes, such as ammonia, diffuse into the water and are carried away. |
Response:
Sponges do not have nervous systems that would allow them to respond to changes in their environment . However, many sponges protect themselves by producing toxins that make them unpalatable or poisonous to potential predators. Reproduction: Sponges can produce either sexually or asexually. In most sponge species, a single sponge forms both eggs and sperm by meiosis. |