They were the first animals to reproduce sexually. Sponges also use their pumping to reproduce: they pump sperm and eggs into the water. We go on a wild ride inside the sponge through holes, tunnels and chambers. Cristina Diaz demonstrates how quickly sponges filter water to obtain food by injecting a colored dye just outside the sponge and watching how quickly the sponge pumps out the dye. View Porifera Guided Questions.docx from BIO 1504 at Mississippi State University. Sponges are the only animals that if broken down to the level of their cells, they can reassemble themselves. Sponge cells carry out all the functions that organs carry out in higher animals and they communicate with each other, an ability all animal cells share. We see an animated view of the incredible variety of shapes of these spicules.

In addition, sponges have microscopic crystalline spicules that act as a skeleton. The basic body plan is a jelly-like layer sandwiched between two thin layers of cells.

Nevertheless, sponges are quite successful. A sponge is an animal that grows in one spot like most plants do. Coming in many sizes and shapes, sponge bodies are a loose assemblage of cells held together by a special protein called collagen which is present in all animals. It is sessile: it cannot move from place to place the way most animals can. The ancient sponge appeared about 2.5 billion years ago-the first animal. ** note: To enable closed captioning, please click on the small CC in the bottom right of the video controls.

Gail Grabowsky Kaaialii, Marine Biologist.

Do sponges move