Structural Arrangement and Properties of Spicules in Glass Sponges

Table 1

The elemental composition of C, O, Si, Na, Cu in percentages by weight in the corporal monoaxonic spicule of A. setubalense: on the surface of the spicule (1–5), on spading cross-section of the spicule (6–15), and after etching with NaOH (16, 17) (Figure 3).

Spectrum number	C	O	Si	Na	Cu	Total
Spectrum (1)	29.39	54.39	34.60	1.08		119.47
Spectrum (2)	27.09	56.02	36.28	0.87	0.53	120.78
Spectrum (3)	25.68	56.47	36.78	0.90	0.58	120.39
Spectrum (4)	27.87	52.66	35.15	0.90		116.58
Spectrum (5)	26.36	47.96	34.04	0.85	0.54	109.75
Spectrum (6)	52.25	46.95	30.31	0.31	0.71	130.53
Spectrum (7)	82.77	18.04	1.64			102.83
Spectrum (8)	68.89	23.59	1.90			94.37
Spectrum (9)	69.55	22.69	1.77			94.01
Spectrum (10)	96.61	31.72	3.93	0.47	0.52	133.25
Spectrum (11)	97.44	65.20	26.47	0.93	0.53	190.57
Spectrum (12)	96.66	50.88	20.82	0.53	0.84	169.72
Spectrum (13)	89.15	32.15	4.57	0.42	0.67	129.96
Spectrum (14)	70.45	24.80	1.84			97.09
Spectrum (15)	20.93	61.69	35.71	1.13	0.55	120.01
Spectrum (16)	12.72	35.79	35.36	0.40	0.66	84.94
Spectrum (17)	100.38	67.53	24.12	1.03	0.63	193.69
Max.	100.38	67.53	36.78	1.13	0.84
Min.	12.72	18.04	1.64	0	0