Sponges Research Papers

While most living organisms reproduce during their lifetime, not all have the ability to move freely in order to complete the process of reproduction. Sessile marine organisms fit the profile of these organisms, as any sessile organism, by definition, is permanently attached or fixed to another surface. Due to their sessile nature, coral have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Coral that reproduce sexually do so most commonly by way of spawning and brooding, while coral that reproduce asexually do so through budding and fragmentation. Both modes of reproduction, both asexual and sexual, have their benefits and disadvantages, but both ultimately lead to the production of new coral throughout the world.

Squids are abundant in all oceans around the world, but the Caribbean Reef Squid lives from 2m below water to the deep depths of the ocean. The Reef squid has 10 tentacles; 8 around its mouth for feeding, and 2 long club-like tentacles for grasping

A Marine Biologist is someone who studies all types of sea creatures and can choose to specialize in studying large ocean animals all the way down to microscopic organisms. Marine Biologists study life in not only the ocean, but also other brackish (salty) waters such as estuaries, bays, and tidal flats. They do not just study ocean life, but also the destruction we humans do to our oceans and how to understand how the ocean process works. Marine Biologists also provide the information needed to create new management methods to build a sustainable future for the ocean.

Krill, also known as “pink gold,” are tiny zooplankton that are found in the ocean. These small creatures have been living in the worlds oceans for many centuries. However, it is very difficult to answer when exactly the krill species was discovered because of the fact that krill have no fossil record. Instead, scientist compared the rDNA of krill to rDNA of krill ansestors. The estimated discovery of krill is about one hundred and thirty million years ago (Jarman par. 1). Krill are tiny shrimp like creatures that range from eight to sixty millimeters or two and a half inches. They have gills located on swimming legs and other legs that are used for feeding. Krill have huge black eyes and they are mostly transparent with a bright red shell.

These tentacles are used not only for to itself, but also to protect the space around it, due to competition (EDGE: Coral Reef Species, 2008). These tentacles are usually spread out during the night from the outside edges of the colony. As well as the sweeper tentacles, they also have mesenterial filaments that extend from their digestive system, which allows them to eat other coral species that may be invading their space. These filaments help direct food into a central mouth, and then the food is digested into a sac-like body cavity (Boulder Star Coral, 2010). Astraea are classified as both heterotrophic and autotrophic feeders because, as well as using their tentacles to prey on other coral species, they also utilize organic matter and bacteria (Vaughan,

This is the Yellow Tube Sponge, also known as the Aplysina aerophoba. The animal’s name is very self explanatory. This animal, who is commonly mistaken for a plant, has a rough outer, tube-like shell. It is yellow, hence the name. Also, it is hollowed out, with one tube coming out from the top, and it can grow to 3 feet tall.

Sponges are considered part of the Animal Kingdom because sponges are multicellular. They are known be diploblastic, which means having two layers of cells. Adult Sponges, may have several cell layers, but originally, they all arise from the two layers that were present in the early embryo (Dawkins 2004). Most sponges are asymmetrical, however some of them show the radial symmetry (Dawkins 2004). Sponges do not have a coelom. A coelom is a cavity within the body in which the heart, intestines, kidney, lungs, etc., they are located, and it is sealed off from the outside world. The body cavity of sponges is large, and it is open to the outside world, also it’s enables the sponge to consume food (Dawkins 2004).

Hestetun, Jon Thomassen. Carnivorous sponges of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Phylogeny, taxonomy, distribution and microbial associations of the Cladorhizidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida). The University of Bergen, 2016.

They do not grow, just like all viruses, do not reproduce by itself (needs a host cell), and also it does not have any energy source, carbon source, or waste production. It does have DNA however. On the other hand, sponge, we know that it has energy source, carbon source (carbohydrates), and waste production. It checks the boxes of metabolism, and they can reproduce sexually and asexually, has DNA and RNA, and it grows. A sponge checks all the boxes of the properties of a living thing. That is why it is officially classified as a living thing, whereas viruses don’t have all the properties of a living thing. Because viruses are missing very important properties of a living organism, it shouldn’t be classified as

The dinoflagellates can range from photosynthetic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic which deals with how an organism receives its nutrition needed for survival. A majority of dinoflagellates have connecting plates that are made of cellulose and two ninety degree angled flagella. The flagella are able to be positioned into the connecting plates. One of the flagella is surrounds the dinoflagellate while the other one runs lengthwise. The function of the flagella is to assist the dinoflagellates movement of rotation. Figure 1 demonstrates the wide variety that dinoflagellates can be. Dinoflagellates can also start to glow due to stress. The group of apicomplexans is named due the fact that it contains fibrin, microtubules, and vacuoles contained in a apical complex structure. The function of the structure is for access to contaminate a host cell. The group of

To answer why sponges are animals is to understand what a sponge is. First a sponge though it may seem like a plant is not due to being multicellular and they lack cell walls. Like other animals sponges are covered in tiny pores called ostia that lead to an internal system of canals and out the larger pores called oscula. The canals of a sponge are these chambers that are lined with specialized cells called collar cells. Yes, unlike other animals they lack organs and tissues, they do have collar cells that are sticky and funnel like that whip about called flagellum. The interesting thing about the flagellum is they serves as little flags whipping back and forth to bring in nutrients, oxygen, and water. As well they also serve to carry out the

Squids are within the class cephalopods. They are known for representing the top of the food chain for the large group of soft-bodied animals known as Molluscs as they are extremely fast moving predators. Their various adaptations have allowed them to thrive in the ocean.

Sponges are believed to have been the first animals to inhabit earth and regarded as the origin of every animal species. Since sponges are the base of the animal family tree that gave rise to all forms of animal life, they could be viewed as the “animal eve”.

The phylum Ctenophora is very intriguing, and o ur research was focused mainly on the species Mnemiopsis, otherwise known as the Sea Walnut. This species of Comb Jellies is found in freshwater and saltwater all throughout the world. They move through their habitat with cilia attached to comb rows. The Sea Walnut is thought to be one of largest organism to move with cilia. This may be because it is not the most advanced organism. Its highest level of organization is tissues. But do not mistake that for this organism being boring, it has many redeemable qualities, like bioluminescence (http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/comb_jelly).

In the single origin of neurons, comb jellies are said to the oldest in the clade coming before Porifera, Placozoa, jelly and bilateria (Bucher 2015). In the process of evolution the sponges and Placozoa lost their ability to send rapid signals and their neurons. The loss of their nervous system is still uncertain, however there could be an environmental role that could have played a role in the evolutionary process. The phylum Placozoa only has one species called Trichoplax adhaerens. This particular species have been identification with six somatic cell types containing proteins that are normally in neurosecretory cells. Which includes FMRFamid-like peptide, opening the door to the possibility of neuronal like cell existence in the phylum (Bucher 2015). Only Hexactinellida also recognized as the glass sponges practice electrical impulses that send brisk signals to the current. Primary cilia are present in the cell of vertebrate, invertebrate and also in sponges. Primary cilia’s function is similar to one another. Similarly, the cilium are involved in sensing chemical activity, sending signals through calcium wave. By removing the cilia or the osculum, sponges lose their ability to ‘sneeze”, which is used by freshwater sponges to unload their waste. Cilia is present in the osculum of all sponges that have been examined, displays the common sensory organ in Porifera (Leys 2015). The nervous system did evolve once through the common ancestry, however sponges and Placozoa lost their nervous system in their development