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The term sponge derives from the Ancient Greek word σπόγγος spóngos. [9] The scientific name Porifera is a neuter plural of the Modern Latin term porifer, which comes from the roots porus meaning "pore, opening", and -fer meaning "bearing or carrying".
Pages in category "Sponge anatomy" The following 19 pages are in this category, out of 19 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. A. Archaeocyte; C. Choanocyte;
Depending on the body plan of the sponge (which can be asconoid, syconoid, or leuconoid), the spongocoel could be a simple interior space of the sponge or a complexly branched inner structure. Regardless of body plan or class, the spongocoel is lined with choanocytes , which have flagella that push water through the spongocoel, creating a current.
The meshing of many spicules serves as the sponge's skeleton and thus it provides structural support and potentially defense against predators. [1] Sponge spicules are made of calcium carbonate or silica. Large spicules visible to the naked eye are referred to as megascleres or macroscleres, while smaller, microscopic ones are termed microscleres.
Hexactinellid sponges are sponges with a skeleton made of four- and/or six-pointed siliceous spicules, often referred to as glass sponges. They are usually classified along with other sponges in the phylum Porifera , but some researchers consider them sufficiently distinct to deserve their own phylum, Symplasma .
All three sponge body plans (asconoid, syconoid, and leuconoid) can be found within the class Calcarea. Typically, calcareous sponges are small, measuring less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in height, and drab in colour. However, a few brightly coloured species are also known. Like the Homoscleromorpha, calcareous sponges are exclusively viviparous. [7]
Xestospongia testudinaria is a species of barrel sponge in the family Petrosiidae. More commonly known as Giant Barrel Sponges, they have the basic structure of a typical sponge. Their body is made of a reticulation of cells aggregate on a siliceous scaffold composed of small spikes called spicules.
The pinacoderm is composed of pinacocytes, flattened epithelial cells that can expand or contract to slightly alter the size and shape of the sponge. [1] It also contains porocytes, oval-shaped cells extending from the pinacoderm to the choanoderm (the body layer containing choanocytes).