Food is first engulfed in sponges by

Options

A. Trophocytes
B. Choanocytes
C. Pinacocytes
D. Porocytes

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Sponges**: Sponges are simple aquatic animals belonging to the phylum Porifera. They have a unique feeding mechanism that involves filtering water to obtain food particles.

2. **Identifying the Cells in Sponges**:
- **Tropocyst**: This is involved in digestion, but it does not play a role in the initial engulfing of food.
- **Quinocytes**: These cells are equipped with flagella and are responsible for creating water currents that bring food particles into the sponge.
- **Pinacocytes**: These cells form the outer layer of the sponge and are involved in structural support and signaling, not in food engulfment.
- **Porocytes**: These cells form the pores through which water enters the sponge but do not directly engulf food.

3. **Determining the Correct Cell**: Among the options, Quinocytes are the cells that actively participate in the process of bringing food into the sponge through water currents. Therefore, they are the first cells to engulf food.

4. **Conclusion**: The correct answer to the question "Food is first engulfed in sponges by" is **Quinocytes**.

**Final Answer**: Food is first engulfed in sponges by **Quinocytes**.

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