How are shells formed? Detailed answer

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How are shells formed? Detailed answer

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How are shells formed?

If you've ever walked along a beach, you've probably seen seashells lying on the sand where they've been tossed by the waves. Such shells are almost always empty - this is the former home of some dead marine animals. By the way, shells are found in wooded areas, and in rivers, and in ponds. When people talk about shells, they usually mean the soft-bodied animals known as "clams". Most molluscs have a shell that protects their soft body.

The shell is the skeleton of a mollusk. It is part of the animal, and the mollusc is attached to it with muscles. The soft clam inside never leaves its "home". The shell is made of limestone by the mollusk itself. Certain glands can pick up limestone from the water and deposit tiny bits of it at the edges or along the inside of the shell. As the mollusk grows inside, the shell also increases in size. You can see the growth lines, which are marked with scars (bulges) that run parallel to the outer edge of the shell.

You have probably noticed such growth lines on oyster shells. The appearance of other scars is caused by scars on the "mantle" of the mollusk or the muscles of its body. The shell of a mollusk consists of three layers. The outer layer is covered with a layer of horny substance, which does not contain lime. Beneath it is a layer of calcium carbonate. The inner layer is the "mother of pearls", or mother of pearl. It consists of a very thin layer of calcium carbonate and horny substance. The color of the shell depends on the color of the substance secreted by some glands of the mollusk. Therefore, the shell can be speckled, monochrome or painted with stripes and lines.

Some shells are so tiny that they can only be seen through a magnifying glass, while a giant sea clam can be up to a meter long.

Author: Likum A.

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