Exam 1 - Porifera Flashcards
What does Porifera mean?
pore-bearing
Are Porifera symmetrical or asymmetrical?
asymmetrical
Are Porifera classified as plants or animals?
now classified as animals, but used to be classified as plants.
True or false: Porifera are the longest surviving animals on Earth.
True.
Cellular structure
no organs or tissues, but they do have different layers of tissues.
Where are Porifera found?
mostly marine with one family of freshwater, wide range of depths because no need for sunlight, and they are sessile.
What is the atrium/spongocoel of a Porifera?
the internal cavity.
How do Porifera pump water?
drawn in through porocytes in the body wall and then pumps it back out through the osculum.
What are choanocytes?
cells with flagella that cause the water flow and trap food particles that are suspended in the water.
What are amebocytes?
cells that move through the body with different functions.
How do Porifera exchange gases, remove wastes, and release gametes?
through the water flow.
What are archaeocytes?
amoeboid cells that phagocytize food particles and form other cells that produce spicules and gametes.
What is the mesohyl?
found in the gelatinous layer in the middle of the sponge and contains skeleton composed of spicules.
What is the function of spicules?
support and protection.
How are sponges classified?
by type of spicules and complexity of ell arrangement.