Sponge basics
What type of animal is a sponge — vertebrate or invertebrate?
Invertebrate
The outer layer of a sponge has many tiny openings called what?
Pores
Sponges are ______ feeders.
Filters
Sponges can reproduce both sexually and ________.
asexually
What is the main opening of the sponge called?
Osculum
What invertebrate group do sponges belong to?
Porifera
What is the name of the large opening at the top of the sponge where water exits?
Osculum
What enters the sponge through its pores?
Water carrying food
In asexual reproduction, a small new sponge grows from the parent. What is this process called?
Budding
True or False: Sponges have a mouth.
False
True or False: Sponges can move freely from place to place.
False
How many layers of cells make up a sponge’s body?
Two
What happens to the food particles trapped by collar cells?
They are digested by sponge cells.
During sexual reproduction, what two cells combine?
Egg and sperm
What is the scientific name of the sponge phylum that means “pore-bearing”?
Porifera
What kind of environment do most sponges live in?
Marine (Ocean)
What structures give the sponge its shape and support?
Spicules
What exits the sponge through the osculum?
Clean water
What stage swims freely before attaching to a surface?
Larva
What is the main role of choanocytes in the sponge’s body?
They move water through the sponge and trap food particles.
Sponges are __________, meaning they remain attached to one spot on the ocean floor
Sessile
What are the specialized cells with flagella that move water through the sponge called?
Choanocytes
Why is the filter-feeding process important to ocean ecosystems?
It helps clean and circulate ocean water.
List the correct order of stages in sexual reproduction.
Egg and sperm → fertilized egg → larva → attachment → adult sponge
In which type of reproduction does a small sponge grow on the parent and then detach when mature?
Budding (asexual reproduction)