GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Molluscs have a mantle or mass of soft flesh that covers the soft body and encloses the internal organs. In many species, the mantle produces a hard shell. Not all molluscs produce a shell.

Detailed explanation-2: -In mollusks that have shells, such as clams, mussels, and snails, the mantle is what secretes calcium carbonate and a matrix to form the mollusk’s shell. In mollusks that lack shells, such as the slug, the mantle is completely visible.

Detailed explanation-3: -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 contains the mollusk’s gills, anus, osphradium, nephridiopores, and gonopores. The mantle cavity functions as a respiratory chamber in most mollusks.