Oyster

About Oyster:

• Oysters are marine animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca found in brackish habitats.
• Appearance: They are very irregular in shape and the valves of some are highly calcified.
• Characteristics
  • These marine animals can filter up to 1.3 gallons of water per hour.
  • Oysters are animals with eyes all over their body. These eyes help them escape their predators.
  • Shell-hiding: These creatures are known to hide in their shell upon sensing danger. The shells then close tightly to protect them.
  • These animals do not have a central nervous system. Therefore, they cannot feel pain like humans.
  • Diet: They are animals that eat algae and other food particles that are usually drawn to their gills.
  • Reproduction: They are known to reproduce through broadcast spawning in warm waters and are also capable of changing their gender.

Key points about research

• Oysters are exposed to high concentrations of diverse microorganisms in their natural marine environment. Because of this, they have evolved strong immune defenses.
  • For example, they rely heavily on antimicrobial proteins and strings of molecules known as peptides in their hemolymph (blood) to protect them from infection.
• The study showed that the antimicrobial proteins isolated from the oyster hemolymph (the equivalent of blood) can kill certain bacteria responsible for a range of infections.
• The proteins can also improve the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against problematic bacteria species.

Q1: Are oysters found in India?

Small oyster beds exist in Kerala and Karnataka, but little exploitation occurs. Along the east coast, exploitation concentrates in the backwaters of Orissa, in Gokulapalli (Andhra Pradesh) and in Courtallayar and Adyar estuaries and Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).

Source: PHYS

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