Aspects of Sponge Biology

Aspects of Sponge Biology is the result of a symposium about sponge biology held in Albany, New York in May 1975. The symposium not only presents investigations, but also problem areas in the field of sponge biology. This book therefore shows that sponges are a very challenging and untouched subject area for future studies. This book is divided into three major parts, wherein the first part introduces and discusses sponge biology. The introduction and discussion include sponge biology principles, perspectives, and problems. The next two parts discuss cell and development biology, taxonomy, and ecology. Part 2 deals with several topics of the cellular aspect, including an analysis of reproduction in sponge populations and cytochemical studies of connective tissues in sponges. This part also looks into the cytological abnormalities in various normal and transformed cell lines. Part 3 describes the different types of sponge in their various habitats. Sponge feeding mechanisms, ecological factors controlling sponge distribution, and zoogeography of Brazilian marine Demospongiae are also discussed in this part. This book will be of important value to biology students and teachers. Specialists including zoologists, ecologists, comparative physiologists, and biologists will also benefit from this book.