Italian Inverted Microscope (circa 1868)


Galleria
License Info
Image Use
Custom Photos
Partners
Site Info
Contact Us
Publications
Home

The Galleries:

Photo Gallery
Silicon Zoo
Pharmaceuticals
Chip Shots
Phytochemicals
DNA Gallery
Microscapes
Vitamins
Amino Acids
Birthstones
Religion Collection
Pesticides
BeerShots
Cocktail Collection
Screen Savers
Win Wallpaper
Mac Wallpaper
Movie Gallery
 

Wim van Egmond

Snails in Eggs

Snails are well known gastropods that carry their homes on their backs and have a reputation for being slow moving. The organisms, however, have been extremely successful, accomplishing the rare feat of branching out into three different biospheres: freshwater, the oceans, and terra firma. Some tropical species can even be found in the trees, a seemingly unlikely place to look for these lowly creatures.

Snails in Eggs

The term "gastropod" means “belly-footed,” a reference to the broad, tapered foot on which members of the class Gastropoda locomote with the help of mucus secretions. A large, diverse class that also contains the shell-less organisms commonly referred to as slugs, gastropods are customarily organized into three primary groups, namely the prosobranchs, the opisthobranchs, and the pulmonates. Of these groups, the prosobranchs secrete the most substantial shells and are provided with the best protection from predators and harsh environmental conditions since they feature a disclike operculum that fills the aperture to their homes when they are inside. In contrast, the opisthobranchs often have a reduced or absent shell and the pulmonates lack an operculum.

Humans have utilized snails since prehistoric times, although today some fast reproducing and introduced species can be considered pests. An early source of food, in some parts of the world snails, or escargot, continue to be considered a delicacy. In addition to their edibility, snails have been prized solely for their shells, which have been used by various societies throughout history as jewelry, as decorations, as a form of commercial exchange, and even as a badge of office. Perhaps snails are most important, however, for their integral role in the decomposition of plants and animals, which are modified into substances that can support new life.

BACK TO WIM VAN EGMOND GALLERY

Questions or comments? Send us an email.
Photomicrographs are © 2000-2022 by Wim van Egmond.
All Rights Reserved under copyright law.
© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Friday, Nov 13, 2015 at 01:18 PM
Access Count Since September 15, 2003: 13204
Microscopes provided by:
Visit the Nikon website. Visit the Olympus Microscopy Resource Center website.