Phylum Porifera Flashcards
What are Porifera?
The basal clade animals that lack true tissues aka sponges
Structure Supports of Porifera
Spicules: tiny needs/rods of silica that maintain shape and structure
Spongin: fibrous collagen-protein network for support
4 Simple Cell Types of Porifera
Porocyte
Epidermal Cells
Choanocytes
Mobile amoebocytes
Porocyte
A simple cell type for sponges that are tubular cells that make up the pores of the sponge, allowing water to flow through
Epidermal Cells
A simple cell type of sponges that form the outer layer of tightly packed cells
Choanocytes
Collar cell simple cell type of sponges that line the inner cavity of the sponge.
Generate water currents by beating their flagella and capture suspended food particles.
Also deliver oxygen and nutrients, and remove waste
Mobile amoebocytes
Simple cell type of sponges found in the mesophyll where they transport nutrients to other cells of the sponge body, produce materials for skeletal fibres, and can differentiate into other types of cells as needed
Layers of Porifera body
Epidermis and choanocyte layer separated by a gel-like, non-cellular matrix
How do Porifera feed?
Porifera are suspension feeders.
Capture food particles suspended in water passing their bodies.
Water is drawn in by beating choanocyte flagella through pores into the spongocoel and out through the opening
Collar cells extract food particles using mucus-covered microvilli and then engulfed using phagocytosis
Porifera Sexual Reproduction
Sexual Reproduction
Porifera are hermaphrodites w/out reproductive organs.
Sperm develop from modified choanocytes and eggs develop from modified amoebocytes.
Fertilization is commonly internal and zygotes develop into motile ciliated larvae within the mesophyll
Porifera Asexual Reproduction
Fragmentation and budding
Clade Eumetazoa
Includes all animals excluding sponges
Characterized by the presence of true tissues
Most basal are Ctenophora and Cnidaria and have radial symmetry and are diploblastic
