Snail Anatomy

It is the part of the nail bed that is beneath the nail and contains nerves lymph and blood vessels. The anatomy of a land snail is very different from most animals.

Anatomy Of A Snail Art Print

Land snails have a coiled shell to which their body is attached by a strong muscle.

Snail anatomy. A slug or snail moves by rhythmic waves of muscular contraction on the underside of its foot. Most have a shell of some sort whether it be external internal or somewhere between the two. Snails living in the water excrete ammonia and are not uricotelic.

Snails living on the land are uricotelicthis means that to preserve water they excrete almost solid uric acid. Numerous kinds of snail can also be found in fresh water. The matrix produces cells that become the nail plate.

The snail can withdraw its body completely into the shell when it is resting or protecting itself from a predator. Snails and slugs move by contracting and relaxing muscles in the foot. Snail anatomy land snails and slugs all have a similar external gastropod body plan subject to variation.

His body is a cluster of peculiarities and surprising data not found in other animals. The matrix sometimes called the matrix unguis keratogenous membrane nail matrix or onychostroma is the tissue or germinal matrix which the nail protects. Although land snails may be more familiar to laymen marine snails constitute the majority of snail species and have much greater diversity and a greater biomass.

Slugs and snails have two pairs of retractable tentacles on their head. The radula works like a file ripping food into small pieces. Most snails have thousands of microscopic tooth like structures located on a banded ribbon like tongue called a radula.

At the same time a layer of mucus is secreted which helps smooth the slugs path across the ground. The upper optic tentacles have light sensitive eyespots on the ends. The radula is a chitinous ribbon like structure containing rows of microscopic teeth.

Most of us recognize snails by their spiral shell but this is not the only interesting thing about them. The shell stays with the snail for its life. A snail cannot leave its shell any more easily than humans can leave their fingernails.

The anatomy of a common snail garden snail cornu aspersum defecating a snail breaks up its food using the radula inside its mouth.

Label The Land Snail External Anatomy Printout