Question Video: Recalling the Characteristics of Sponges which Place them into Kingdom Animalia Biology

Video Transcript

The picture provided shows a member of the Porifera phylum, more commonly known as sponges. Sponges are immobile but are still classified into the kingdom Animalia. Which characteristics do they share with the rest of the animal kingdom? (A) They are multicellular and autotrophic. (B) They are multicellular and heterotrophic. (C) They are unicellular and reproduce sexually. Or (D) they are eukaryotic and reproduce asexually.

To answer this question, let’s go over some of the main features of organisms that belong to the animal kingdom.

One is that they are eukaryotic, meaning their cells have a nucleus and related organelles. Another is that they are multicellular or made of more than one cell. Unlike plants, animals cannot synthesize their own food from sunlight. Instead, they are known as heterotrophs. Heterotrophs must obtain their nutrition from other organisms. Adult sponges do this by filtering the water around them and extracting tiny organic particles and small organisms, like plankton.

Sponges have all three of these animal characteristics. So, the correct answer to this question is (B). Two characteristics that sponges share with the rest of the animal kingdom are that they are multicellular and heterotrophic.