how does a sponge defend itself how do a sponge move

(Sven Zea ())Īfter analyzing the compound, Bergmann discovered that it was very similar, but not identical, to another type of molecule making headlines. The breakthrough AIDS treatment AZT was based on a chemical discovered in the sea sponge Tectitethya crypta.

A mysterious compound was coming from the sponge. A “ rather copious amount of a nicely crystalline material” began to form in the acetone. As he did this he noticed something funny. Placing the sea sponges in boiling acetone (the chemical also used in nail polish remover), Bergmann intended to leach out the sterols from the sponge’s tissue. Sea sponges happened to be a gold mine for new and interesting sterols, and Bergmann intended to learn all he could from them.īut this new sponge, now known as Tectitethya crypta, was different.

In the chemistry world during the 1940s, sterols, like cholesterol, were still largely an unknown. They are also a treasure trove of biochemical compounds.Īfter collecting a new species of sea sponge off of Elliot Key in 1945, Bergmann, an organic chemist, began the search for his true passion-new types of the fat molecules called sterols. But, in fact, they are likely one of the oldest lineages of animals on the planet. An amorphous and unmoving blob of porous tissue on the seafloor, it is easy to assume they aren’t even an animal. But an unassuming trip to the Florida Keys to collect sea sponges would prove to be a crucial point in a search for new medicines. Werner Bergmann did not mean to discover a lifesaving drug.

How does a sponge defend itself how do a sponge move