ZoologyLesson 1 of 2 in the course Diversity of Animals

Body Plans, Feeding, and Reproduction in Sponges and Cnidarians

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Sponges are among the simplest animals. They have specialized cells but lack true tissues, and their bodies are organized to move water for feeding, gas exchange, and waste removal.

Animals are informally divided into invertebrates, which lack a backbone, and vertebrates, which have a backbone. About 95 percent of animal species are invertebrates, an extraordinarily diverse group spanning many phyla.

All flashcards

How do amoebocytes support nutrient distribution in sponges?
They collect nutrients from choanocytes in food vacuoles and distribute them to other cells.
What is a nematocyst?
An organelle inside a cnidocyte that discharges a coiled thread, sometimes with barbs or toxins.
What is the difference between a polyp and a medusa?
A polyp is typically attached with its mouth facing upward; a medusa is usually free-swimming, bell-shaped, and mouth-downward.
How does digestion occur in cnidarians?
Enzymes begin digestion in the gastrovascular cavity; cells absorb nutrients, and digestion is completed within cells.
What distinguishes anthozoans from the other major cnidarian classes?
Anthozoans have a sessile polyp form only and lack a medusa stage.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the name of the large opening through which water leaves a sponge?Answer: The osculum
  2. Which sponge cells use flagella and collars to move water and capture food?Answer: Choanocytes
  3. Which cnidarian organelle discharges a coiled thread used in prey capture or defense?Answer: A nematocyst
  4. Which description best distinguishes a typical cnidarian polyp from a medusa?Answer: The polyp is usually attached with its mouth upward; the medusa is usually free-swimming with its mouth downward.
  5. Which cnidarian class includes sea anemones and corals and has no medusa stage?Answer: Anthozoa

Based on Concepts of Biology by Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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