The gastropod shell is part of the body of many gastropods, including snails, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton , which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage.

Most snails possess rightward-pointing shells, but there are a few whose shells are oriented toward the left. And in some species, the shell can coil in either direction. If you were to cut open a snail shell, you'd notice several main layers in the cross-section.

The largest living species of sea snail is Syrinx aruanus; its shell can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) in length, and the whole animal with the shell can weigh up to 18 kg (40 lb). The smallest land snail, Angustopila psammion , was discovered in 2022 and measures 0.6 mm in diameter.

2024年11月30日 · Gastropod - Shell Structure, Anatomy, Diversity: The typical snail has a calcareous shell coiled in a spiral pattern around a central axis called the columella. Modifications and ornamentations of basic shells are widely variable among species.

2022年11月6日 · For snails their shell is with them from their first moments in their egg. Once they hatch, these tiny translucent creatures are already recognisably snails. Their protoconch, the shell they are born with, is soft when they emerge from their egg case.

6 天之前 · The snail shell is a remarkable example of natural engineering, primarily composed of calcium carbonate, secreted by the mantle, a specialized tissue in the snail’s body. This mineral composition is typically in the form of aragonite or calcite, providing the …

2024年5月6日 · The shell is the snail’s primary line of defense, a hard and often spiral structure made of calcium carbonate that they can completely retract into. This barrier affords them protection from physical attacks and environmental hazards.

2023年11月15日 · Snails and other molluscs create shells through a process called biomineralization. Through a shell gland, they secrete an organic matrix of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids that serves as a base for the hard mineral part of the shell.

A wide range of different families of snails with a variety of artistically coiled shells all originated from one species of snail. Most snails look as though they turn about their centers in a clockwise direction, that is, as if they always turn to the right.

2024年12月21日 · Snail shells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, which is secreted by the snail’s body and slowly built up over time. This process is made possible by the snail’s unique physiology, which allows it to extract calcium from its diet and use it to construct its shell.