I worked hard to make sure the post was longer than this image. Within the glass sponges (Hexactinellids), so called because of scaffolds of silica spicules they form, resides a family of sponges, the ...

Picture is copyright Emily S. Damstra and used by permission. Müller and colleagues carefully studied the formation of these giganto-spicules and found formation was helped along the way by silicatein ...

The Venus' flower basket sea sponge has hair-like appendages that hold it in place on the sea floor. Researchers show that the internal structure of those fibers is fine-tuned for strength. The ...

PROF. DENDY'S memoir (in Acta Zoologica, 1921, pp. 95-152, 50 figures) on the evolution of the tetraxonid sponge-spicule will appeal equally to those interested in problems of evolution or in ...

Super-strong sponge: Venus's flower basket attaches itself to the sea floor using very strong fibres called spicules, which are seen on the left end of the sea creature. (Courtesy: Michael Monn) The ...

As a heavy rod of glass sinks into a searing furnace, a wheel below it whirs. Every second that the drum turns, it pulls almost another meter of glass fiber off the softened end of the translucent ...