Sponges

1
Sponges

• Zoology

2
Bellringer

• Get out a sheet of paper. Fold it for Cornell
  notes. Answer this question at the top of your
  paper.
• List three words that you think of when you think
  about a sponge.

3
Sponges

• Simplest animal
• Belong to the Phylum Porifera
• Porifera comes from Latin words
• Porushole
• Ferrecarry

4
Why Porifera?

• Sponges are named for the way that sponges get
  their food!
• Sponges filter feed.
• They siphon materials in through their pores
  (holes).
• They filter the water to get food and absorb the
  food into their cells.

5
What do they look like?

• Rough
• Porous (filled with lots of empty space)
• Can be many different colors (red, blue, yellow,
  etc)
• Round or tube shaped
• Asymmetrical body plan

6
What does a sponge do?

• Provides a habitat for worms, shrimp, snails, and
  sea stars
• Provides a habitat for photosynthetic bacteria
  and protists
• Provides a food source for some snails, sea
  stars, and fish

7
How does a sponge eat?

• The inside of the two sponge layers is lined with
  specialized cells called collar cells.
• Collar cells beat flagella so that water will run
  through the pores of the sponge.
• Cells pull the food and oxygen out of the water
  so that the sponge can use them.

8
Why does a sponge need oxygen?

• What important cell process uses oxygen?
• Why does the cell complete this process?

9
Answers

• Cell respiration
• To release energy for use in the cell and body

10
Do sponges move?

• No. Adult sponges are sessile!
• When they are young, larvae move through currents
  to find a suitable habitat.
• They attach and grow when they find an area to
  live.

11
Where do they like to live?

• Most live in the shallow waters near the
  shoreline of saltwater or freshwater.
• Many live in colonies (groups).

12
Reproduction in Sponges

• Most sponges reproduce sexually.
• Most sponges are hermaphrodites (have male and
  female reproductive parts.)

13

• Eggs are released in the water by one sponge.
• Sperm are released by another sponge.
• The egg is fertilized and becomes the larvae that
  travels until it finds a habitat.

14
How do sponges protect themselves?

• There are two modes of protection
• Spiculesspiny processes that deter other animals
  from eating the sponge
• Chemicalsreleased to deter animals and even harm
  them

15
Why are sponges important to humans?

• The chemicals used for protection are being
  researched to provide treatments and cures for
• Viral infections
• Bacterial infections
• Cancer treatments
• Other medications