Sea sponges are a marvel. We once thought they were plants, because they become rooted in place, but they are animals. Sea water flows through them, and they filter out the organic matter to consume and expel clean water. That's a crucial niche in the ocean's ecosystem, which may be why they've flourished for 500 million years. These primitive animals also have superpowers. If they are torn into pieces, each piece can form into its own living sponge, thanks to “totipotent cells” that are kind of like stem cells and can transform into any kind of tissue needed. Sponges also manufacture bioactive compounds for their own protection that have plenty of potential for medicines.
Sponges can live for thousands of years, around 15,000 years for a glass sponge. About the only way to kill them is to take them out of the ocean, which people have been doing for thousands of years. Yet they hang on, diversifying into thousands of forms, filtering ocean water that is increasingly polluted with inorganic matter. Read about the many amazing sea sponges at Messy Nessy Chic.
(Image credit: Albert Kok)
