I’m thankful for sponges, but not just the ones that help us clean up the turkey and cranberry sauce.
I’m grateful for sea sponges because they may help us figure out the cause of and treatments for human diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders.
A research team recently sequenced and analyzed the genome of the sea sponge Amphimedon queenslandica in order to learn about the basis of multicellularity and how diseases start. To everyone’s surprise, the team discovered that sea sponges share many of the same genes with humans and other creatures. The structure and the order of sponge genes closely resemble those of other animals. Furthermore, sea sponges possess many of the genetic systems needed to sustain multicellularity.
In my view, this similarity reflects God’s provision for humanity. Because of their genetic similarity to humans, creatures like sea sponges can yield crucial insight into human diseases and ways to treat them. It seems our loving Creator supplied a wealth of resources to use for good.
Now I just need something to wipe up the globs of gravy.
