spongocoel

(noun)

the large, central cavity of sponges

Related Terms

  • choanocyte
  • mesohyl
  • osculum

Examples of spongocoel in the following topics:

  • Morphology of Sponges

    • The morphology of the simplest sponges takes the shape of a cylinder with a large central cavity, the spongocoel, occupying the inside of the cylinder .
    • Water can enter into the spongocoel from numerous pores in the body wall.
    • Water entering the spongocoel is extruded via a large, common opening called the osculum.
    • However, sponges exhibit a range of diversity in body forms, including variations in the size of the spongocoel, the number of osculi, and where the cells that filter food from the water are located.
    • In some sponges, ostia are formed by porocytes: single, tube-shaped cells that act as valves to regulate the flow of water into the spongocoel.
  • Physiological Processes in Sponges

    • Oocytes arise by the differentiation of amoebocytes and are retained within the spongocoel, whereas spermatozoa result from the differentiation of choanocytes and are ejected via the osculum.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.