Sponges (Porifera) {sponge, animal} are Ecdysozoa protostomes, live in ocean, are slimy, have bad smells, have porous skeletons, and have drab colors. Sponges have no body symmetry.
cells
Sponges have cellular differentiation for reproduction, food gathering, and skeleton production but no special tissues.
association
Sponges are ectomesenchymal-cell associations. Specialized intercellular junctions are within mesenchyme.
pores
Sponges take in water and food through skeleton pores. They force water out other pores. Pore epithelio-muscular cells and oscular sphincters regulate water flow.
Spindle-shaped and neuron-like mesenchymal cells are adjacent to pinacocytes and choanocytes. Large multipolar neuron-like cells are in collar below osculum. The neuron-like cells contain small, granular vesicles and norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholinesterase, and monoamine oxidase.
sensation
Sponges have cells that react to stimuli but no cell coordination.
Sponges have cells {collar cell} with flagella to move water in collar, below osculum.
Sponges have cells {amoebocyte} that move through matrix, collect food and water, secrete skeleton, and then become epidermal cells.
Sponges {calcarea} can have calcium-carbonate external skeletons.
Sponges {demospongia} can have spongin-protein external skeletons, to form soft sponges.
Sponges {glass sponge} can have silica external skeletons {hexactinellida}.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225