Question

sponges are animals that live in the ocean and feed by filtering plankton from the water. students examine a model of a sponge and label some structures.
tubular cells that allow water to flow into the body of the sponge
cells that can move throughout the body of the sponge, transporting nutrients to other cells
water movement
cells with flagella that generate water current in the body of the sponge
which structure and description best describe why this organism succeeds in its niche?
a. multiple layers of complex tissues that perform specific tasks
b. specialized organ systems that allow these organisms to become some of the largest species on earth
c. specialized cells that perform the tasks that complex organs perform in larger animals
d. multiple layers of generalized cells that perform all metabolic tasks individually

Explanation:

Sponges are simple multicellular organisms without complex tissues or organ systems. Option A is incorrect as sponges don't have complex tissues. Option B is wrong because sponges lack organ systems. Option D is incorrect since their cells are specialized (e.g., collar cells for water flow, cells for transporting nutrients) rather than generalized doing all tasks. Option C is correct as sponge cells are specialized to perform functions that in more complex organisms are done by organs/tissues, like filter - feeding and nutrient transport.

Answer:

C. Specialized cells that perform the tasks that complex organs perform in larger animals