Phylum Poriferia

Question 1

What do sponges do?

Answer 1

Filter water, manifacture chemicals and harbour biodiversity(symbionts and commensals)

Question 2

Body of sponges

Answer 2

Mass of cells embedded in gelatinous matrix and stiffened by spicules of calcium carbonate or silica and collagen.

Question 3

What creates a water current in sponges?

Answer 3

Choanocytes flagella

Question 4

How do sponges maintain their shape?

Answer 4

Spongin forms endoskeleton and its created by spongocyte cells

Question 5

What Are archaeocytes?

Answer 5

They Are totipotent, ingest and digest food by choanocyte, transport nutrients, excrete wastes, differentiate gametes,

Question 6

Types of sponges

Answer 6

Ascenoid(most simple), synconoid (body wall thicker), leuconoid (most complex)

Question 7

Characteristics of class calcarea

Answer 7

Spicules of calcium carbonate, mostly small, don’t have spongin

Question 8

Characteristics of demospongiae

Answer 8

All freshwater sponges, leuconoid, spicules of silica, skeleton is variable

Question 9

Characteristics of class hexactinellida

Answer 9

Mostly deep water, spicules of silica, six rayed spicules

Question 10

Sexual reproduction in sponges

Answer 10

Most hermaphrodites

Question 11

Asexual reproduction in sponges

Answer 11

Budding and regeneration

Question 12

How do they defend their space?

Answer 12

With secondary metabolites

Question 13

Main characteristics of poriferia

Answer 13

Mostly assymetrical, high regenerative powers, collection of different type cells in a gelatinous matrix, sexual and asexual reproduction, adults are sessile