Mantle (mollusc)

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Mantle (mollusc)

The mantle (also known by the Latin word pallium, adjective pallial) is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal

Dorsum (biology)

In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright....
body wall which covers the visceral mass.

In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis

Epidermis (skin)

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin, composed of terminally differentiated stratified squamous epithelium, acting as the body's major barrier against an inhospitable environment....
of the mantle secretes calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CalciumCarbonOxygen3. It is a common substance found as Rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of seashells, snails, and eggshells....
and conchiolin

Conchiolin

Conchiolin and perlucin are complex proteins which are secreted by a mollusc's outer epithelium .These proteins are part of a matrix of organic macromolecules, mainly proteins and polysaccharides, that assembled together form the microenvironment where crystals nucleate and grow....
, and creates a shell

Mollusc shell

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The mantle (also known by the Latin word pallium, adjective pallial) is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal

Dorsum (biology)

Epidermis (skin)

Calcium carbonate

Conchiolin

Mollusc shell

File:Amerikanische Bohrmuschel.JPGThe mollusc shell or mollusk shellOften spelled mollusk shell in the USA; the spelling "mollusc" is preferred by is typically a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of an animal in the phylum Mollusca....
.

The words mantle and pallium both originally meant cloak or cape, see mantle (vesture). This anatomical structure in molluscs often resembles a cloak because in many groups the edges of the mantle extend far beyond the main part of the body, forming flaps, double-layered structures which have been adapted for many different uses, including for example, the siphon.

The mantle cavity

The mantle cavity is a central feature of molluscan biology. This cavity is formed by the mantle skirt, a double fold of mantle which encloses a water space. This space containing the mollusc's gill

Gill

A gill is an anatomical structure found in many aquatic ecosystem organisms. It is a respiration organ whose function is the extraction of oxygen from water and the excretion of carbon dioxide....
s, anus

Anus

The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to expel feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest, such as coprolite ; food material after all the nutrients have b...
, osphradium

Osphradium

The osphradium is the olfactory organ in certain molluscs, linked with the respiratory organ.The main function of this is to test incoming water for silt....
, nephridiopore

Nephridiopore

Nephridiopore is part of the nephridia, an Excretion Organ found in many organisms, such as flatworms or annelids. Nephridia are analogous to nephrons or uriniferous tubules found in the kidney of humans....
s, and gonopore

Gonopore

A gonopore is a genital pore in some invertebrates and especially some insects.For insects, it is the opening of the genital duct. More specifically, in the unmodified female it is the opening of the common oviduct, and in the male, it is the opening of the ejaculatory duct....
s.

The mantle cavity functions as a respiratory

Respiration (physiology)

In animal physiology, respiration is the transport of Oxygen from the outside air to the cells within Tissue s and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction....
chamber in all molluscs. In bivalves it is usually part of the feeding structure. In some mollusks the mantle cavity is a brood chamber, and in cephalopods and some bivalves such as scallop

Scallop

A scallop is a Marine bivalve mollusk of the Family Pectinidae. Scallops are a wiktionary:cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans....
s, it is a locomotory organ.

The mantle is highly muscular. In cephalopods the contraction of the mantle is used to force water through a tubular siphon, the hyponome

Hyponome

A siphon is an anatomical structure which is part of the soft parts of aquatic molluscs in three Class es: Gastropoda, Bivalvia and Cephalopoda....
, and this propels the animal very rapidly through the water. In other mollusks, it is used as a kind of "foot" for locomotion.

Formation of mollusc shell

In shelled molluscs, the mantle is what forms the shell, and what adds to the shell to increase its size and strength as the animal grows. Shell material is secreted by the ectodermic

Ectoderm

The ectoderm is the start of a tissue that covers the body surfaces. It emerges first and forms from the outermost of the germ layers.Generally speaking, the ectoderm differentiates to form the nervous system, Epidermis , and the outer part of integumentary system....
(epithelial) cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
of the mantle tissue.

Mantle of gastropods

Mantle of gastropod is fully or partially hidden in gastropod shell

Gastropod shell

The gastropod shell is a seashell which is part of the body of a Gastropoda or snail. It is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage....
. The mantle is visible also according to size of gastropod shell and shell-less slug

Slug

Slug is a common non-scientific word, which is often applied to any gastropod Mollusca whatsoever that has a very reduced shell, a small internal shell, or no shell at all....
s have mantle fully visible.

Mantle (mollusc)

The mantle cavity

Formation of mollusc shell

Mantle of gastropods

See also