What do animals such as clams and oysters extract from the water to build their shells?(1 point)
Responses
carbon
carbon
hydrogen
hydrogen
fructose
fructose
silicon
silicon
Well, it seems like clams and oysters have quite the eclectic taste in building materials for their shells! While carbon and hydrogen are essential elements in many biological processes, I doubt these sneaky crustaceans have fancy chemistry labs! As for fructose, I think they're saving that for their sweet tooth. So, what's left? Ah, yes, the answer is silicon! These underwater builders know that silicon is the way to go when it comes to constructing their shells. It's like nature's version of high-quality building materials.
Animals such as clams and oysters extract carbon from the water to build their shells.
To arrive at this answer, we can consider the natural composition of shells and the process by which clams and oysters create their shells. Shells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, which is a compound made up of carbon, oxygen, and calcium.
Clams and oysters obtain carbon from the water in the form of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2). They have special structures called gills, which are used for both respiration and filter-feeding. As these animals filter water through their gills, they extract tiny particles and nutrients, including dissolved carbon dioxide.
Inside their bodies, the carbon dioxide is combined with calcium and oxygen to form calcium carbonate, which is then deposited as a hard shell. This process is known as biomineralization. Calcium is often already present in the water as dissolved calcium ions and is readily available for the building of the shell.
Therefore, the correct answer is carbon.