por i

Plural of por us. porifer (po'ri-fer), n. [ pores: see poriferous.] That which has pores, as a sponge; a member of the Porifer a. Porifer a (po-rif'e-rä), n. pl. [NL., neut. pl. of porifer, q. v.] 1. The sponges as a prime division of cœlenterates, or supercla of Ca lentera, having a system of pores or incurrent and excurrent openings, but no stinging-or IMG:content-0662.jpg:[blocks in formation] pork gans: contrasted with Nema toph or a, and more fully called Cælentera porifer a. It is a name of sponges when these are regarded as cælenterates, to distinguish them from the true cœlenterates, then called Nema toph or a. A usual division of Porifer a is into Calci cospongiæ or Micro mastic tora, all other sponges; but near spongiæ or Mega mastic tora, the chalk-sponges; and Sili ly every writer on sponges has his own cla ification. See Porifer at a. Spongiæ, and cuts under sponge and Spongilla. Also called 2. Same as Foraminifera . poriferal (pō-rif'e-ral), a . [ porifer - ous + -al .] Poriferous, as a sponge; of or pertaining to the Porifer a or Spongiæ. poriferan (pō-rif'e-ran), n . and a. [ porifer - ous + -an.] I. n. A porifer; a sponge. II. a. Same as poriferous . - Poriferan theory, that theory which considers the tracheæ or tubes of some animals as having a common origin with the incurrent tubes of the Porifer a or sponges.