Sponge

:This article is about the animal. For other uses, see Sponge (disambiguation).

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Calcarea

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Hexactinellida

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Demospongiae

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Sclerospongiae

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The sponges or poriferans (from Latin porus "pore" and ferre "to bear") are animals of the phylum Porifera. They are primitive, sessile, mostly marine, waterdwelling filter feeders that pump water through their matrix to filter out particulates of food matter. Sponges are among the simplest of animals, with partially differentiated tissues but without muscles, nerves, or internal organs. In some ways they are closer to being cell colonies than multicellular organisms. There are over 5,000 modern species of sponges known, and they can be found attached to surfaces anywhere from the intertidal zone to as deep as 8,500 m (29,000 feet) or further. Though the fossil record of sponges dates back to the Precambrian era, new species are still commonly discovered.

Related Topics:
Latin - Animal - Phylum - Sessile - Marine - Filter feeder - Muscle - Nerve - Organ - Colonies - Intertidal zone - M - Feet - Fossil - Precambrian

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The structure of a sponge is simple: it is shaped like a tube, with one end stuck to a rock or other object and an open end, the osculum, open to the environment. The spongocoel, or interior of the sponge, is composed of walls perforated with microscopic pores that allow water to flow through the spongocoel.

Related Topics:
Osculum - Spongocoel

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