CHAPTER 5: PHYLUM PORIFERA Choanocyte chambers (or radial canals)- outpockets of the

choanoderm
- pore bearers
Incurrent canals- inpockets of the pinacoderm
-Sponges are a conspicious and colorful component of many
Prosopyles- front gates; numerous small openings
seascapes.
Water flow in the synconoid aquiferous system route:
Filter feeding- multicellular body uniquely specialized.
ostia->incurrent canals ->prosopyles -> choanocyte chambers ->atrium
-> osculum
-separation of suspended food particles from water by passing
them through a mesh that strains out the food. LEUCONOID- large body sizes, ranging from a few centimeters to more
than one meter
Dynamic tissues
excurrent canals- replace the relatively voluminous atrium and single
Totipotent cells osculum of asconoid and synconoid sponges.

-they suggest that sponges are an intermediate form between Apopyle- back gate
protozoan colonies and other metazoans in which tissue and cell
specializations tend to be more permanent. -where water exits each choanocyte chamber and then flows trough
the excurrent canals, which become progressively larger in diameter
Indeterminate growth- enlargement without a fixed upper size limit. as they join with other excurrent canals.
- The growth forms may be massive, erect, branching,or
Body Wall
encrusting , depending on the species and environtmental conditions.

Form -thin in asconoid; thick in most leuconoid; intermediate thickness in

synconoid
Filter feeding of a sponge is built around one of three anatomical
designs: Synctium- large or extensive multinucleated cytoplasm enclosed by an
external membrane but not divided into cells by internal
asconoid membranes.
syconoid
leuconoid Cellular
ASCONOID- simplest
The bodies of demosponges and calcareous sponges are composed of
- hollow cylinder attached by its base
to the substratum. Epitheloid tissue
Connective tissue
Pinacoderm- platter skin EPITHELOID TISSUE- resembles epithelium but it lacks epitheliums
intercellular junctions and hemidesmosomes and is not underlaid by a
- body surface is covered by monolayer
basal lamina.
cells.

Atrium(or spongocoel)- hollow interior Exopinacoderm- covers outer surface of the body
Endopinacoderm- incurrent and excurrent canals
Choanoderm- collar skin Asconoid design- flagellated choanoderm which forms the atrial lining
Mesohyl- connective-tissue layer between the pinacoderm and
- monolayer of flagellated collar cells
choanoderm
Ostia- small pores; perforate the cylinder wall - it forms a bushy, fibrous network that is especially obvious in bath
sponges
Osculum- larger opening; upper free end of the body - one layer of the sponge body wall that typically not bathed with env.
water
the flagellated choanoderm creates a unidirectional water flow that - sole internal compartment
enters the ostia, passes over the choanoderm en route to the atrium, - as connective tissue, composed of proteinaceous, gel matrix contains
and exits through the ocsulum. differentiated and undifferentiated cells like skeletal muscles.

Aquiferous System- circulatory system of choanoderm, pores and

Pinacoderm consists of:
chambers
Pinacocyte
all asconoid sponges are small and have cylindrical, or tubular, Porocyte
bodies, which typically do not exceed a diameter of 1mm.
Pinacocyte- flattened(squamous)
SYNCONOID- increaces surface area and reduced atrial volume by - lack flagella (except Plankina and Ocarella)
forming alternating inpockets and outpockets of the body wall.
Porocyte- from the ostia of all asconoid and many synconoid and Demosponges(sclerosponges)secrete a massive basal exoskeleton
leuconoid of CaCO3
- also constitute prosopyles and apopyles of many synconoid and some sponges lack spicules, but secrete organic spongin
leuconoid Spicules are siliceous or calcareous whose composition, size, shape
- surrounds a pore, regulated by contraction of cytoplasm filaments are used at all levels in classification of sponges
- miniature sphincter valves Spicules are separated into two size classes: 1. megascleres 2.
Archeocytes- progenitor cells Microscleres
- machropage like
- large ameboid cells bearing a nucleus and numerous large lysosomes 1. Megascleres
- totipotent and can differentiate into any other type of sponge cell - typically form the principal skeletal framework
- phagocytic and play a role in digestion and internal tranport
Lophocytes- crest cells 2. Microscleres
- archeocyte-like ameboid cells that secrete collagen fibers
- support the pinacodermal lining of the canal system or high density;
- produce and maintain the fine collagen fibers of mesohyl
toughen the body wall
Spongocytes- occur only in taxon Demospongiae
- resembles archeocyte; secrete collagen that polymerizes in spongin Spicules are secreted extracellularly by sclerocytes in calcareous
sponges, intracellularly in sclerocytes in demosponges, and
Spongin- thick skeletal fibers
intrasynctially in glass sponge.
Sclerocytes- hard cells Locomotion and Dynamic Tissues
Mesohyl cells, are more or less in constant motion; endopinacocytes
- secrete the mineralized skeletal spicules of many sponges and choanocytes can move about to remodel the aquiferous system
Myocytes- muscle cells remodeling, involves addition or fusion of flagellated chambers and
- muscle like cells; containing actin and myosin that aggregate around branching of canals, may fine tune- to optimize water flow
the oscula of some demosponges
- they regulate the size of the oscular aperture; help to control water Physiological Compartmentalization
flow
Oocytes and Spermatocytes Nutrition
- reproductive cells that undergo gametogenesis in the mesohyl to form
sperm and eggs. Internal Transport, Gas Exchange and Excretion
Choanocytes- collar cells/flagellated collar cells
- generate water flow thorugh the sponge Integration
- have an apical collar of long microvilli around a single flagellum
Bioactive Metabolites and Biological Associations
Syncytial
Bioerosion
Trabecular Syncytium- living tissue in hexactenellids, arrange in three-
dimensional, cobweb-like strands
Reproduction
Choanosynctium- cellular choanoderm is absent CLONAL REPRODUCTION
gemmules- fragmentation, budding and formation of overwintering
Collar bodies- each with collar and flagellum but lacks nucleus propagules
diapause- state of near metabolic arrest, then require a period of very
- occupies a synconoid-like pocket that is supported by the trabecular cold temperature before they activated , germinate, and differentiate
network into a new sponge, usually in the spring.
- many collar bodies arise in a single nucleated stem cell, choanoblast micropyle- opening
Rhabdocalyptus dawsoni- mesohyl cells are joined to the trabecular thesocyte- spherical, resembles an embryonic cell
synctium by slender cellular extensions and partially syncytial
Dactylocalyx pumiceus- cells are reported independent of the synctium Sexual Reproduction and Development
gross anatomy of a hexactenellids is synconoid, but the aquiferous
system, both incurrent and excurrent canals, resembles the leuconoid spermatic cyst- sperm arise from choanocytes or entire choanocytes
design. chambers that sink into the mesohyl and become enclosed in a thin
Water in hexactenellids flows: cellular wall
trabecular network-> incurrent canals-> collar-body chambers->
follicle- egg and nurse cells together may be enclosed in ensheathing
excurrent canals-> atrium -> osculum
cells of follicle
Skeleton carrier cell- ameboid choanocyte
chiefly mesohylar endoskeleton
sole skeleton is gelatinous mesohyl supported only by fine collagen coeloblastula larva- produced by calcareous sponges
fibers
mesohylar matrix is supplemented with mineral spicules, spongin or -larva is a hollow sphere composed of a single layer of flagellated cells
both
amphiblastula larva- develops as a hollow ball composed of two types,
anterior flagellated cells and posterior nonflagellated granular cells
- occurs in other calcareous sponges
parenchymella larva- characteristic of most demosponges
- embryo develops directly into a solid mass of cells, forming a
stereoblastula
trichimella larvae- typify the glass sponges
- stereoblastulae that bear a band of flagellated cells around the
equator of the larval body
olynthus- miniature asconoid

Diversity of Porifera

Symplasma SP (Hexactinellida)
- glass sponges; syncytial tissues; spicules are siliceous
triaxonal hexactines

Cellularia SP
- porifera with cellular tissues

Demospongiae C

Homoscleromorpha SC

Tetractinomorpha SC

Ceractinomorpha SC

Calcarea C

Calcinea SC

Calcaronea SC

Paleontology and Phylogeny of Porifera