Uses of Shells Today
Shells have many different uses in the modern world. Mankind has made use of shells throughout history. Today, shells are used for many decorative and practical activities. A shell is the exo-skeleton of an invertebrate animal. They include snails, crabs, mussels, oysters and many others, most of which live in water. When the animal dies, it leaves behind its shell, and these can be collected and used by humans.
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Decorative Uses
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Shells can be used to decorate the body and the home in many different ways. Mother of pearl, the smooth, shiny substance that forms on the inside of many shells, is commonly used to make jewelry, buttons and other decorative items. Shells can be strung together to make necklaces or bracelets. Some shells might be displayed in the home as ornaments in their own right, used as dishes or other vessels or stuck onto other items as decoration.
Industrial Uses
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Shells are used by some industries in the manufacturing of products. They can be mixed with gravel to build roads in some parts of the world. Shells contain lime which is extracted and used to make concrete and plaster by the construction industry. The lime in shells is also a useful plant food, so it is used by the plant fertilization industry to produce plant fertilizer. In some parts of the world, shells are used to produce glue and boat caulking.
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Musical Uses
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Shells can be easily made into musical instruments. It is possible to make most shells into a musical instrument by drilling a hole into it. Larger shells can make musical noises when filled with water. There are some specific traditional uses of shells as musical instruments that still survive in the modern world. The Triton trumpet shell is used by Japanese Shinto priests to call people to prayer. Shell horns are used in Fiji to announce that fish is being sold. In Samoa, shells are used to announce the return of a ship from a long voyage. And in Hawaii, shells are blown in a traditional sunset ritual.
Medicinal Uses
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Shells have a number of medicinal uses, both in the West and in traditional cultures elsewhere. Ground up oyster shells are high in calcium and are processed to make calcium supplements. In markets in the Peruvian Andes, ground up mother of pearl is often sold as as a healer of wounds, although this is not proven. Vietnamese medicine uses powdered oyster shell to treat indigestion, hemorrhage and fatigue. It also uses powdered abalone shell to treat eye diseases.
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References
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