● `color{Brown}"Members"`: Members of this phylum are commonly known as `color{Violet }"sponges"`.

● `color{Brown}"Habitat"` : They are all aquatic and `color{Violet }"sessile"` (sedentary), generally marine but a few are freshwater organisms too.

● `color{Brown}"Symmetry"` : Mostly `color{Violet }"asymmetrical"` animals (Radial in 𝘓𝘦𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢)

● `color{Brown}"Level of Organisation"` : These are primitive `color{Violet }"diploblastic"` multicellular animals with a cellular level of organisation.

● `color{Brown}"Examples"` : 𝘚𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘯 (Scypha), 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 (Fresh water sponge) and 𝘌𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘢 (Bath sponge).

`color{Green}♣ color{Green} "Just for Curiousity"`

Study of Sponges is called `color{Violet }"Parazoology"` .

Body wall consists of:

●`color{Brown}"Outer Pinacoderm"` (Ectodermal): Consist of

a) `color{Violet }"Pinacocytes"` (Flat cells)
b) `color{Violet }"Porocytes"` (oval cells)

● `color{Brown}"Inner Choanoderm"` (Endodermal): Consist of

a) `color{Violet }"Collar cells or Choanocytes"` (Flagellated).
These cells are the unique characteristic of Porifera which help to maintain a flow of water through the body.

● `color{Brown}"Cavity"`: Body wall encloses a large central cavity called `color{Violet }"spongocoel or paragastric cavity"`.

●Sponges have a `color{Violet}"water transport or canal system"`.

●Water enters through minute pores (`color{Violet}"ostia"`) in the body wall into a central cavity, `color{Violet}"spongocoel"`, from where it goes out through the `color{Violet}"osculum"`.

●This pathway of water transport is helpful in food gathering, respiratory exchange and removal of waste.

●`color{Brown}"Digestion"` : Digestion is intracellular and occurs in food vacuoles of `color{Violet}"choanocytes"`.

●`color{Brown}"Respiration and Excretion"` : Takes place through the diffusion of gases through the body surface. Excretory matter is `color{Violet}"Ammonia"`.

●`color{Brown}"Skeleton"` : The body is supported by a skeleton made up of `color{Violet}"spicules"` (calcerous or siliceous) or `color{Violet}"sponging fibers"`.

● `color{Brown}"Sexes"` : Sexes are not separate (`color{Violet}"hermaphrodite"`) ,i.e., eggs and sperms are produced by the same
individual.

● `color{Brown}"Mode of Reproduction"` : Sponges reproduce asexually by fragmentation and sexually by formation of gametes.

● `color{Brown}"Development"` : Fertilization is `color{Violet}"internal"` and development is `color{Violet}"indirect"` having a larval stage which is morphologically distinct from the adult.