Protist shell

Okay kiddo, so you know how some animals have shells to protect them, like turtles or snails? Well, some really tiny creatures called protists also have shells!

These shells are called tests, and they can be made of lots of different things like calcium carbonate, silica (which is like sand), or even just sticky goo. Some protists use their tests to help them move around, by sticking out little arms or legs called pseudopodia.

Protist shells also come in lots of different shapes and sizes. Some are like little bowls or cups, while others are more like intricate geometric shapes. And since protists are so small, we need really powerful microscopes to see their shells up close.

So that's the basics of protist shells! They're like tiny little suits of armor that help these teeny creatures survive and move through their watery homes.