- Marine sponges are sessile, meaning they don't move, but sit and grow in the same spot for their entire lives. They are filter feeders, sucking water in and sifting the nutrients they need before spitting it back out. Sponges are remarkable in that they can regenerate themselves from just a few cells. Of the four classes of sponge, most bath sponges belong to the class Demospongiae.
- Near the bottom of a sponge's skeleton are tiny pores called ostia. These ostia are lined with whiplike filaments that direct water through hundreds of canals and channels. As water flows through these channels and canals, special cells sift out the nutrients, and the filaments direct the water out of larger pores called oscula. The skeletons of sponges used for bathing are made primarily of collagen, the same material that makes up hair and fingernails.
- The luffa sponge is usually much stiffer than a marine sponge and is actually the skeleton of a type of gourd related to pumpkins, zucchini, and other squash and melons. Their vines are vigorous, reaching up to 15 feet in length, and they require a long, hot growing season to produce mature fruit. Young, immature fruit are edible and have a mild, zucchinilike flavor.
- The tough, fibrous tissue of the luffa gourd is generally more open than a marine sponge and is not as soft. Luffa sponges are often used as defoliators, helping to slough off old skin. A luffa sponge's skeleton will hold up best when left to fully ripen on the vine. They are ripe when their skin dries and their stems turn yellow. They will generally be about 2 feet in length at this point. Mature gourds are soaked in water until their skin peels off easily. They are then cleaned of seeds and pulp and left to dry.
Marine Sponges
Marine Sponge Structure
Luffa Sponge
Luffa Sponge Curing
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