The Sponges
General Characteristics
Porifera means “full of holes”
 Sponges are the simplest of animals
 Live in both freshwater and saltwater.
 Two cell layers thick, with gel-like
substance between them.
 Do not have tissues, organs, or organ
systems.
 Do have specialized cells and cell
structures.

Specialized Cell Structures
Spicules- needle-like skeleton made of spongin
 Amoebocytes- cells that carry food to other
cells
 Collar cells- trap food using flagella

Obtaining Food and Such

Water flow carries Food and Oxygen into the
pores and out the osculum.

Waste produced are released into the water.

Gas exchange occurs through diffusion.

No nervous or circulatory system.
Reproduction

Can occur in three ways:

Asexual
 1. Regeneration: new organism grows from
a piece of the old.
 2. Budding: new organism grows on old,
falls off, and develops into an adult.
Reproduction

Sexual:
 Either sperm is released into the water and
carried to a sponge egg where fertilization
occurs
 Or, sperm and eggs are released into the
water and fertilization occurs outside the
sponge’s body

Most sponges are hermaphroditic,
meaning they can produce both sperm
and eggs. Just not at the same time.
Importance of Sponges

Natural sponges are used for cleaning or
bathing.

Sponges are sources of powerful antibiotics.

Sponges are homes for other organisms.

Food source for some organisms.
Works Cited



http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/pix/spongeanatomy.jpg. 318-09.
[http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/pix/spongeanatomy.jpg]
http://www.oceanicresearch.org/jpegs/spawning_sponge.jpg.
3-18-09
[http://www.oceanicresearch.org/jpegs/spawning_sponge.jpg
]
http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/animals/1sponge.jpg. 3-18-09.
[http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/animals/1sponge.jpg]