Multimedia Gallery
Sea sponge extracting florescent-dyed water
In this image, a florescent dye has been injected next to a sea sponge which the sponge quickly pumps through its body. Sponges dont have tissues or organs. The beating choanocyte cells (specialized cells with flagellae) and the porous structure of a sponges body are specialized to pump water--thousands of liters a day--throughout its body, extracting tiny organisms for food from the water to all the cells.
The image is from "Shape of Life," a documentary series developed and produced by Sea Studios Foundation in collaboration with National Geographic and PBS with funding from the National Science Foundation (grant DRL 98-14957) among others. The series shows students of all ages the dramatic rise of the animal kingdom and the astonishing diversity of life seen on the Earth today.
You can view a video showing the sea sponge extracting florescent-dyed water Here. To view other videos, or to learn more about series, visit the "Shape of Life" website Here. (Year of image: 2002)
Credit: ©2002 Sea Studios Foundation
Special Restrictions: This image is property of Sea Studios Foundation. All rights are reserved. Permission is granted for educators to utilize this image in their programs and curricula. The image cannot be used for commercial, for-profit manner or other purposes without the express written permission of Sea Studios Foundation. For contact information, visit their website, http://www.seastudios.com.
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Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. You may freely use NSF-credited images and, at your discretion, credit NSF with a "Courtesy: National Science Foundation" notation.
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