Snails build their shells through an amazing process called biomineralization. The snail's mantle, a specialized organ, secretes calcium carbonate which hardens to form the protective shell in a beautiful spiral pattern.
The mantle is the snail's shell-building factory. This specialized tissue contains secretory cells that extract calcium from the snail's diet. The calcium is transported through the mantle and converted into calcium carbonate, which is then secreted to form new shell material.
Shell growth happens layer by layer. The mantle continuously deposits new calcium carbonate at the shell opening. As each layer hardens, the shell expands outward in a spiral pattern. This process continues throughout the snail's life, creating the beautiful spiral shells we see.
The snail shell follows the golden spiral, a mathematical pattern based on the golden ratio. This logarithmic spiral appears throughout nature because it provides optimal growth efficiency. Each turn of the spiral maintains the same proportional relationship, creating the perfect balance of strength and space utilization.