Thousands upon thousands of seashells may be found on a leisurely stroll down the beach. Many of them are only parts and fragments of whole shells, but you may also discover complete, gorgeous seashells similar to what you'd purchase in a beach store.

So, where did all of these seashells originate? Is there an undersea factory where mermaids and dolphins toil away to create shells, which they then deliver to shore on the waves? That isn't the case at all! The seashells you see strewn about on the beach are actually former residences! Who are the homes for? Of course, mollusks! Mollusks' exterior skeletons are left behind as seashells.

Mollusks are tiny invertebrates with slippery bodies and sensitive bodies. Mollusks' shells shield their delicate bodies from the weather and predators as they grow.

Mollusks absorb salts and chemicals from the water around them as they go about their daily lives in the sea. They release calcium carbonate as they digest these minerals, which solidifies on the exterior of their bodies and begins to develop a hard outer shell.

The seashell shell is linked to it, but it is not a component of the mollusk's live body. This is due to the fact that the shell is made up of minerals rather than mollusk cells. Mollusk shells continue to expand as calcium carbonate is excreted by them. When a mollusk dies, its shell is left behind for you to discover on the beach.

Nacre, the shell substance of mollusks, contains mainly calcium. It does, however, generally have a hard scleroprotein covering on the outside, comparable to human fingernails.

Mollusks are available in a wide range of forms and sizes. Furthermore, different waters throughout the world provide mollusks with a variety of diets. The great variety of seashells that can be seen on the coasts of oceans all over the globe is due to different types of mollusks eating different sorts of foods.

Turtle shells, on the other hand, are a part of the endoskeleton, or internal skeleton, of vertebrates. Surface scutes, like human fingernails, are epidermal structures formed of the strong protein keratin. The dermal tissue and calcified shell, or carapace, that lies under these scutes is created by the union of vertebrae and ribs during development. By weight, such bone is made up of roughly 33% protein and 66% hydroxyapatite, a mineral made up of calcium phosphate with a small amount of calcium carbonate. It's unclear why snails and clams have calcium carbonate exoskeletons whereas vertebrates like turtles have calcium phosphate endoskeletons. Both shells are tough, provide protection, allow for muscle attachment, and resist dissolving in water. Evolution is a fascinating process.

Unlike seashells, turtle shells feature live cells, blood arteries, and nerves, including a vast number of cells on the calcareous shell surface and distributed throughout its interior.