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Phylum Porifera: The Sponges

The phylum Porifera includes sponges, which are simple multicellular organisms. Sponges are the most primitive metazoans and exist as sessile filter feeders without tissues or organs. They contain chambers and canals called the spongocoel that allow water flow, and have collar cells called choanocytes that generate water currents. Sponges have skeleton structures called spicules made of silica or calcium carbonate that provide structural support. Most reproduce asexually but can also reproduce sexually.

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Aditya Muchayatsyah
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91 views17 pages

Phylum Porifera: The Sponges

The phylum Porifera includes sponges, which are simple multicellular organisms. Sponges are the most primitive metazoans and exist as sessile filter feeders without tissues or organs. They contain chambers and canals called the spongocoel that allow water flow, and have collar cells called choanocytes that generate water currents. Sponges have skeleton structures called spicules made of silica or calcium carbonate that provide structural support. Most reproduce asexually but can also reproduce sexually.

Uploaded by

Aditya Muchayatsyah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Phylum Porifera

The Sponges

1 Phylum Porifera
Phylum Porifera Overview

 Most primitive of the multicellular animals


– There is some debate if sponges are complex
colonial protozans and not metazoans.
 Sponges
– Over 7,000 species, approximately 40 species that occur in
local waters
– 2% of all sponges are freshwater, none are terrestrial

2 Phylum Porifera
Phylum Porifera Overview

 Sponges occur in shallow water habitats and


vary widely in size (up to 1m. high) and shape
– Unlike most metazoans they lack:

 All sponges are sessile filter feeders

3 Phylum Porifera
Sponge Diversity

Erect Rope
Sponge

Black-ball sponge

Yellow Tube
Sponge
4 Phylum Porifera
Porifera Anatomy

 Spongocoel

 Ostia

 Oscules

5 Phylum Porifera
Collar Cells

 Choanocytes: (collar cells) act


as a pump to bring water into
Choanocytes
the sponge

6 Phylum Porifera
Sponge Support

 Collagen is found
between the inner canals
and chambers
– Mesohyl
 Ameboid cells located in
the mesohyl, have
different roles
– Archeocytes
– Sclerocytes

7 Phylum Porifera
Sponge Support

8 Phylum Porifera
Spicules

 Collagen is stiffened
by adding microscopic
mineral accretions or
additional protein
fibers (spongin) or
both.
– Spicules: skeleton
structures, made of
calcium carbonate Spicules
(CaCO3) or silicon
dioxide (SiO2).
9 Phylum Porifera
Sponge Types
Porifera Reproduction

 Asexual budding
 Regeneration: can regenerate from broken
pieces
 Sexual
– Usually hermaphroditic with male and female cells
scattered throughout the connective tissue.

11 Phylum Porifera
Porifera Larvae

 Neighboring sponges
are fertilized by
sperm entering
through the ostia
– Ciliated mouth less
larvae
(parenchymella) is
released. Parenchymella

12 Phylum Porifera
Porifera Classification

 Phylum Porifera
– Class Calcarea
– Class Demospongiae
– Class Hexactinellida
– Sclerospongiae is no
longer considered a
class

14 Phylum Porifera
Class Calcarea

 Have spicules made of


calcium carbonate
 Mostly small in size (<15
cm.), and form irregular
masses
 Never contain spongin,
restricted to shallow water,
and strictly marine

15 Phylum Porifera
Class Demospongiae (Most sponges)
 Have spicules made of silicon
dioxide (SiO2) or spongin or a
combination of both
 Most sponges belong to this
class (90%)
– Nearly all are leuconoid body
type
 Mostly found on the
continental shelf
 Spongia spp. (Bath sponge)

16 Phylum Porifera
Class Hexactinellida (Glass
sponges)
 Spicules are made of silica
 Usually found in deep water on soft substrates in the
tropics 200-1,000m.
 Spicules are six pointed and have a lattice-like
structure
 Cup, vase or urn shape

17 Euplectella (Deep sea Glass sponge)


Phylum Porifera

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