spongio-

Also spongi‑ and spongo-.

A sponge; sponge-like.

Latin spongia, from Greek.

Something spongiform has a porous structure or consistency resembling that of a sponge, as in bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE or mad cow disease), a neural disease which renders the brain spongy. A spongioblastoma (also called a glioblastoma) is a kind of spongy malignant tumour, usually of the brain or optic nerve. Spongin is the horny or fibrous substance found in the skeleton of many sponges. A spongolite is a rock formed almost entirely of siliceous sponge spicules.