2006-09-04 07:24:33 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
an organism like our nails
2006-09-04 07:26:13 · answer #1 · answered by usindoors 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The shell of a snail is not in itself sufficient to be considered an organism, it is at best part of a snail. To the other part (is it alive), the answer would have to be no as snail shells are structures with no metabolic processes in themselves.
2006-09-04 08:28:47 · answer #2 · answered by tysonian22 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot classify teeth in the same category as nails or hair. Hair has no nerve or blood supply neither do nails.The area around and under yes but not the nail or hair itself. I once had root canal surgery and that hurts.
A shell is not an organ. It is an intricately woven build up of a calcium compound, although the snail is attached within.When the snail dies the shell gets left behind.
2006-09-04 07:36:53 · answer #3 · answered by Ricardo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'd guess that it's not alive itself as it doesn't respire or any of the other things it has to do to be living but when it is part of the snail then it would i suppose have to be part of the organism so alive i guess. I dont know really. its a good question
2006-09-04 07:28:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an outgrowth of the snail's body, just like our fingernails are an outgrowth of our fingertips. While the shell is not in itself alive, the snail cannot live without it. It protects the snail from harm, prevents dessication, and gives it a place to tuck in for a nap.
2006-09-04 07:28:52 · answer #5 · answered by My Evil Twin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The snail's shell is composed of inanimate calcium salts- i.e., not living but of course part of the organism. It is an ornament that is secreted by living tissue composing the main body of the snail.
2006-09-04 13:22:12 · answer #6 · answered by PADSTAR 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not life as a seperate part of the snail. If the snail dies and leaves behind the shell it will not do anything. It will not reproduce or respirate or any of the other things necessary to classify it as life. It would be similar to me carrying a rock around with me and calling it life because of my association to this inorganic bit of matter.
2006-09-04 07:39:01 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. Knowitall 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it would be considered to be part of an organism.
Similar to our nails hair and teeth or like a snake-skin shed from a snake.
It would be an Organ, not an organism.
It would be as alive as your nails, hair or teeth would be - that is to say it would grow as part of you, but once it is disconnected from the living organism it wouldn't be alive by itself.
2006-09-04 07:27:45 · answer #8 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not alive, no more than our hair and nails are, it is a build up of keratin and calcium. It does form a part of a living organism, but is not actually living itself.
2006-09-04 07:56:22 · answer #9 · answered by Rebecca G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The snails shell is much like hair or fingernails, i.e. dead protein.
In our case it is called keratin, and above the root and sebaceous gland, hair dies.Check out the link below as well as this one.
http://www.answers.com/topic/unguis
2006-09-04 07:56:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋