Foraminiferans Allana Jones 3rd Period

Structure Small organisms with shells Shells are often porous or open (like tubes or hollow spheres) Very small marine creatures (can only reach around 20 cm) Have structures called reticulopodia which are hairlike structures outside the shell that help it move as well as capture food. However, they don’t often move. Structure

Comes from organisms that have shells mainly consisting of Calcium (Calcium Carbonate- CaCO3) Sometimes calcareous ooze will have traces of foraminifera shells in it When foraminifera die, their shell will sink and therefore lead to calcareous ooze Ooze can eventually lead to sedimentary rock Calcareous Ooze

Importance Often the fossils of foraminifera are used in oil drilling The species is short- lived and requires a specific environment so it’s easy to target when and where a rock was formed Can lead to limestone and Chalk Shells from dead foraminifera make up a large portion of the ocean floor Can record temperatures in the ocean from long ago Importance

Review Questions How do foraminifera grow? In what section of the ocean are these organisms found? How do foraminifera produce calcareous ooze? How does their location in the ocean benefit scientists? How does being porous help foraminifera? What happens when the organism dies? Foraminifera eating Review Questions