![]() ![]() The cilium appears to transmit signals across the entire sponge body to react to the stimulus, resulting in a coordinated response from the sponge – and this despite not having a nervous system. Though sponges do not have traditional sensory or nervous systems, they were able to sense the stimuli applied by the scientists using only a cilium. Further experiments also showed cilia grow before a new osculum, suggesting they may be necessary for the sensory organ’s function.ĭanielle Ludeman from the University of Alberta says: ‘When I first began experiments for this study, I was also quite surprised with just how responsive sponges are to their environment - sometimes even the slightest vibration would cause the sponge to sneeze!’ They found that inhibiting or removing the cilia prevented the body-wide sneeze, suggesting that cilia are the trigger for a whole-body signalling mechanism. These cilia are tiny finger-like projections which line a sensory organ called an osculum. The researchers were investigating the effect of pharmacological stimuli on cilia found in sponges. Surprising findings, published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology suggest that sponges might be more sophisticated than we previously thought. They lack the nerves and digestive systems seen in other animals, relying on water flow through their canal system for their food and oxygen. Sponges are the most basic form of a multicellular animal. Scientists have filmed a sponge sneezing, suggesting that even without a nervous system, these basic animals can sense and respond to their environment. ![]()
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