phylum porifera - behs science homebehsscience.com/miller/zoo a/documents/phylum porifera.pdf ·...

PHYLUM PORIFERAThe Sponges

General characteristics of phylum

Porifera1. Asymmetrical

2. Multicellular, with no tissues or organs

3. Produces skeleton-like structure

4. All aquatic, mostly marine

5. Sessile adults, free swimming larvae5. Sessile adults, free swimming larvae

6. Asexual and sexual reproduction

Random facts

• There are roughly 5,000

living species of sponges

• Sponges have lived on this

planet for approximately 540

million yearsmillion years

• What does this tell us about

their adaptability?

• Some sponges can live at

depths of 900 m (3000 ft)

• Giant Barrel Sponges can

be more than 1 meter in

height and diameter

Classes of sponges• Calcarea

• Hexactinellida

• Demospongae

The Sponge Skeleton

• Made of microscopic needles called spicules or spongin,

a fibrous protein

Body structure of sponges

• Open chamber in the

middle

• Open at the top- Osculum

• Specialized cells

• Porocytes: control water flow

into the sponge into the sponge

• Archaeocytes: Move around in

the walls; distribute nutrients,

produce spicules/spongin

Body structure of sponges

• Specialized cells

• Choanocytes: line the inner

chamber of the sponge

• Have a flagella that creates water

currents

• Have collar of microvilli to trap

food particles

Archaeocyte

The life of a sponge

• Feeding

• Circulation

• Excretion

• Respiration

Reproduction• Reproduction

• Movement

• Response

How Sponges Eat• Filter feeders: eat bacteria, algae, protists and other

organic matter

• Some deep water sponges are carnivores

How Sponges Eat• Flagella create current and pull water in

• Choanocytes trap and digest the food- intracellular digestion

• How do the nutrients get to the cells? (circulation)

• Archaeocytes

Respiration and Excretion

• Oxygen comes in with water current

• Individual cells release waste into the water

• Leaves out the osculum

Video

• Wonderful world of sponges- BBC Wildlife

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW05vMziy2o

• Harp Sponge

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3tAtXdaik• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3tAtXdaik

• Sponge filtering with dye

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ueKlShb9Ls

The life of a sponge

• Feeding

• Circulation

• Excretion

• Respiration

Reproduction• Reproduction

• Movement

• Response

Sponge Reproduction

• Asexual Reproduction

• 1. Budding, where part breaks off and grows

Sponge Reproduction

• Asexual Reproduction

• 2. Gemmules are formed

• Similar to a seed- made of archaeocytes and spicules

• Gemmules will open and grow into a new sponge

Sponge Reproduction

• Sexual reproduction

• Sponges are monecious

• One individual can produce both sperm and eggs

• Sperm are released into the water

• Carried by currents into the pores of another sponge

• Fertilization produces a larvae which floats on the

currents then settles and develops into an adult

Video

• Sponge reproduction

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K0gRrowTyA

Response

• No nerves or brain

• Cells can detect touch, water flow or other chemical

signals

Sponge Ecology

• Sponges contain toxic or distasteful chemicals – reduces

predation

• Some fish, turtles, sea slugs eat them,

• Provide habitat for fish, worms, shrimp, symbiotic algae,

• Camouflage for others• Camouflage for others

• Molluscs or arthropods

Humans and sponges

• Used for scrubbing

• Sponge chemicals can be useful as drugs

• antitumor

• antibiotic

• anti-inflamatory• anti-inflamatory