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  1. earth-song:

    Coral by Alexander Semenov

     Animal or Plant…

    Did you know that the sea sponge is not a plant or even part of a coral reef, but is classified as an animal under the Phylum Porifera.
    Sponges were believed to be solidified sea foam in the sixteenth century and until 1765 they were thought to be plants.
    Sea sponges are classified as animals, however, lack the brain, the central nervous system, digestive system and a cardiovascular system.
    Sponges do not have organs, instead have specialized cells that carry out all essential processes.
    So if sponges lack a digestive system, how do they get their food digested and excreted? Well, sponges depend on a constant flow of water running through their bodies to obtain food (plankton and organic particles) and oxygen and also to discard wastes.
    Size, Shape and Color…
    Here is another set of interesting facts about sponges. The bodies of sponges are hollow and adapted to maximize the efficiency of water flow through their body. Moreover, they are held in shape by a gelatinous matrix of mesophyll tissues.
    Sea sponges attached to the ocean floors are really colorful and endearing in appearance. They appear dark underwater due to the presence of a dark membrane which envelops them and protects their inner soft skeleton from destruction. Each sponge variety has a different shape and color.
    Sponges have scores of holes or pores on their surface, through which water containing food and oxygen flows throughout the body of the sponge.
    Sea sponges may be found growing on rocks like moss, while some may be freestanding. They grow in strange shapes and sizes, with some reaching gigantic proportions as well. The different shapes of sea sponges are barrels, tubes, etc. One of the largest sponges ever was almost 10 feet wide.
    What we think is sea sponge lying on the beach is actually just its skeleton. The skeleton is composed of needle-like splinters called spicules and a mesh of protein called spongin. A microscopic examination of this skeleton can tell us which kind of sea sponge it is.


    Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sponge-facts.html

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