the lowly sponge, think again

Sponges reproduce asexually not just one way, but in fact, three different ways.  And they reproduce sexually, acting as both male and female.  If that is not well rounded, I don't know what is.  Open minded and tolerant too, those sponges.  For them, anything goes, not just because they have questionable morals, but because they are acting according to their nature.  Their nature just happens so that they can reproduce just pretty well however they darn well please.

I wish they were mammalian, I would be so proud.  I will have to merely be proud of belonging to the same Kingdom.  Ah ha!  Perhaps you didn't know that they are actually animals. The Sponge:  not just another pretty macroscopic organism. To think that we clean our tubs and apply our foundation with dead animal skeletons.  I love that.  That's recycling at its finest.

Anyway.  Sponges have these type of cells called "archaeocytes" which are non specialized cells that can develop in any particular way they feel like it.  If sponges have feelings.  It’s these archaeocyte cells that give the sponge so many reproductive choices.

Reproductive Choices.

Now that is ironic.  "It’s a gemmule, not a choice."  "It’s a bud, not a choice."  "It’s a regenerated segment, not a choice."

That will only be significant to a small and select audience.  Pro-life biology students.

According the the World Book encyclopedia, scientists have done experiments where they take a sponge, and squish is through fine mesh to see what would happen if a sponge gets all broken up into little pieces.  And guess what?  The sponge, as you have probably guessed, reassembles itself and grows back any parts that it thinks are missing.

That sounds a little like what scientists do on their coffee break. 

All I can say is, it’s a good thing that human beings don't have archaeocyte cells.

Or we would have to be looking for so many more ways not to reproduce.