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.