How do oysters make pearls? - Rob Ulrich

[@SuperSylar]

So in essence, pearls are the body reacting to an invasive material by coating with a thick substance that solidifies around it. In other words, pearls are pretty balls of hard snot. Good to know!

[@robulrich757]

I’d argue that they might be zits ;)

[@boson2916]

A perfect layman's terms

[@KirillStronskiy]

Didn't you hear this is just the leading theory? So there's nothing to know, but to believe.

[@danielcrespo9124]

I do think there was too much talk over something that can be greatly simplified and shorter

[@Koshian_Adzuki]

So my mucus is a small amount of undeveloped pearls?

[@sirajummonira6874]

this is easily one of my favorite animation styles and I love how the content is so precise yet understandable

[@kirukiru5421]

it was actually irritating for the eye. :/

[@en2336]

It's dizzying :(

[@nighthood9184]

it matches my bedroom, full of man stuffs. & Electronic hobby everyday until night.

[@ggstylz]

@@kirukiru5421 😂

[@unknownuser3000]

One day someone will make a horror movie based on giant oysters turning humans into pearls. And I'll watch every second of it.

[@ModeFin]

At least they die pretty 😂

[@undeadladybug7723]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Japan did that, since they already have a movie where people turn into snails

[@smallspace7]

🥶😮

[@ebubechiibegbula5968]

Men you are dark....

[@cesar.leyvag]

This sounds like something out of Junji Ito's mind!

[@wancheng89]

I come to learn about pearls but am more amazed about how an oyster came to be. I’m so fascinated to learn that it started out as a larvae, forming a shell around itself (the idea of a tiny bare oyster flesh just floating around never occurred to me before). It makes so much sense. That’s why the flesh is always joined with the shell when we eat any shellfish! Thank you TedEd for reawakening my wonders to life.

[@Random-sk6hm]

Same with a turtle! It's part of the turtle's body, not independent from it

[@micahbush5397]

It's worth noting that the vast majority of pearls that form naturally are not round, and most are not gemstone quality, either. Prior to the development cultured pearls, gemstone quality pearls were extremely rare and valuable, so much so that Seneca, writing of the excesses of 1st century Rome, griped about women who wore three-pearl earrings: "This womanish folly is not exaggerated enough for the men of our time, unless they hang two or three estates upon each ear."

[@bigsmall246]

The womanish folly hasn't changed much. Modern women just hang different pretty things from their bodies.

[@fernandaabreu5625]

@@bigsmall246 It's womanish folly for me lol

[@mimsydreams]

@@bigsmall246 And men and others. Piercings are gender neutral. Seneca might have had a heart attack, if he saw gauges XD

[@GameFuMaster]

​@@mimsydreamsstill womanish

[@mimsydreams]

@@GameFuMaster Really? I guess that just means women are braver than men, since we can handle the pain of a piercing and men cower because it's "womanish".

[@tasha5741]

1. Calcium carbonate is common in the ocean. 2. Oysters build layers by filtering calcium and carbonate in the sea water. 3. With special proteins, there are 2 variants of crystal structure produced from this - calcite (external shell) and aragonite (internal layer), which have different qualities. Calcite is more stable as compared to aragonite, and is less prone to dissolving. 4. Nacre (the pearl) is formed as a crystalline structure eventually. This stronger and more versatile form of aragonite is formed when hexagonal bricks of proteins and aragonite are stacked so uniformly that light bounces in a cascade of rainbows.

[@shadilnazir2001]

Wow perfect revision. Thanks❤

[@AryaKrishnaMS]

❤

[@Piomapping24]

❤

[@rinshad]

These animations look like they are created by people who love what they're doing. The narrations too

[@B3_H0N3ST]

Woah I actually always wondered how but always forgot to ask thanks Ted ed for always giving us interesting facts and pieces of knowledge

[@wildakusliawanlei9709]

I am 37 this year and am just starting to be curious of the lifecycle of an oyster and how it produces magnificent pearls. 😂 thanks a bunch Ted-ed for always being a great lecturer ❤

[@michaellorde8404]

They control it on a molecular level wow

[@LeastInsaneUtsu-PFan]

Why is no one talking about how pretty this video looks? It’s like a neat little stop motion art/science project.

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

I agree

[@NoSlaying]

this is so interesting, I grew up in the persian gulf, i dived for pearls as part of my tribal heritage using traditional boats and tools

[@dewilew2137]

How cool!!! Very interesting! 😃 May I ask what tribe you belong to?

[@asrahussainn]

Oh my god that’s so fascinating! Please do tell us more!!

[@handyb2000]

Literally investigating nacre and shells for my masters so this ted video was a pleasant coincidence

[@JoannaCubana]

I always thought that it was the build up of sand inside the clam that made the pearl. It's good to learn something new! 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

[@perpetualbystander4516]

Well, I don't consider it a wild guess if you assume that it sometimes starts with a grain of sand, 'cause maybe they can't differentiate that from something else. Just a thought...🤷‍♂

[@max3eey]

Sand is silicone

[@sijam2m59]

Yes

[@hyperchlorite8808]

@@max3eey Silica (SiO2)*

[@poggins4480]

@@hyperchlorite8808 💀 ok professor

[@CardinalBirbRose]

it used to be so confusing to me that people prized pearls higher than the shells when i learned that they were the same material. I still find it slightly weird, but I understand people prefer certain shapes now.

[@fredriknumse8991]

The same material in different shapes or forms can have very different values. An example off the top of my head is wood. You can have a plank of wood, which sure is nice. But you can also have a figure of that same material, which will be worth a lot more even though it's the same material.

[@adwita224]

@@fredriknumse8991 coal and diamond is another set to fit into "same element, different value"

[@aguyontheinternet8436]

@@adwita224 no?

[@berdwatcher5125]

@@adwita224 The carbon structure in diamonds and coal are different, but i guess its still carbon

[@dashdots]

I pretty sure diamonds are pretty cheap when they’re not cut and polished to perfection

[@CheBa.]

Oysters : "Who dare trespass my property. Thou shall be slowly petrified and incarcerated inside me for eternity ." Humans : "BEAUTIFUL"

[@fernandaabreu5625]

Oh no you didnt lololololol

[@iseytheteethsnake6290]

$ех $3х $!х likes? Sorry mate not gonna click!

[@mimsydreams]

Humans seem to ignore all signs of defense from living organisms.

[@bluehydra2582]

@@mimsydreams Like mint. Or chili peppers. Or opium.

[@Random-sk6hm]

Pearls are the oyster's version of a booger that's encased a pathogen in mucus

[@earthling_parth]

This was one of the most impressive animation styles TED-ED has ever deployed. Hats off to the animator 👏

[@strange_and_magnificent]

Ted-Ed is the best teacher.

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

So true

[@caioesteves1520]

this channel is absolutely perfect

[@ahmedmunsif2110]

The production value in his video is just 😮❤

[@echa9446]

hats off to the illustrator /animator of this video 💯🙌

[@Regero08]

The animation on this one is impeccable.

[@robynbrowne1277]

As a marine biologist this took me back today undergrad days of invertebrate zoology

[@cronie8207]

Hi! Just curious what do you as a marine biologist usually do?

[@shamuka19]

My name - Shamuka, means oyster and this vid made me so happy

[@deandreg1323]

3:24 what did he just call me?!?! 😅

[@SimplyStrength043]

Bro I’m glad I had subtitles on otherwise I thought he’d said the hard r

[@TyyTooFast]

😂😂

[@farhanaaz_20]

I mean I just love the way the animation is being presented. Specifically the inside ocean scenery, giving the water vibration ads out of the world experience to it.

[@leonti0027]

amazing how perfectly spherical they make it. Nature is cool af

[@h2amster328]

YOOOO! Art direction of ted-ed vids are always on point!!!!!!!!

[@QaziAbbas7483]

You know the video is good when prof. urchin teaches you about pearls.

[@Student-gi4lb]

Our minds are like oysters, we earn pearls as knowledge

[@zackakx5807]

One of the beautiful arts of nature ❤️.

[@midimusicforever]

What a pearl this video was!

[@Indresh2468]

The CO3 in the water which helps build the shell, also degrades the shells when in abundance (carbonic acid).

[@Closetedboogieman]

So many oysters, so few pearls ❤

[@ookeybookey7955]

I love this stop motion animation!

[@banksofbarcelona3893]

The sound of the oyster closing like a giant door. Awesome

[@FaizanQurashi-bc2zu]

Great knowledge delivered to public. Very nice experience while searching for the formation of a pearl. I heared a myth in my childhood that when first rain drop enters a sea shell it converted to a pearl. But those all are myths anyway

[@Riste.R]

I love the visual direction 🤍

[@humanaku9135]

The presentation is excellent on this one!

[@LetsLearn_with_Param]

Informative 🙂

[@TristanSamuel]

"Ooh, cool rock! Let me get a closer look..." *Proceeds to get turned into a pearl*

[@luciddream5055]

I just recently thought about this. Thanks for sharing this

[@amritanshumonarch]

The visuals kept remembering me of my childhood. ♥️

[@pranaypallavtripathi2460]

Thanks for solving one if my childhood mystery !!

[@joramarentved]

ON Any Level!

[@Koltronn]

A little confused at 1:15, I thought that adding CO2 to the atmosphere and that being dissolved into the ocean actually created carbonic acid which attacks CaCO3 in the ocean and makes it harder to build shells

[@robulrich757]

There are a few steps to the chemical reactions that occur. Carbonic acid then dissolves to make a proton and bicarbonate. That bicarbonate then further dissolves to make another proton and carbonate. These different chemical components all co-exist and the proportions of each depend on the pH. "Ocean acidification" as a term isn't really accurate to describe what is occurring. Instead, what is technically happening is that the ocean is becoming less alkaline, which means that the increasing amount of CO2 going into it now, is removing the bicarbonate and carbonate that are needed for shell-forming. Does that make sense?

[@strawberry_moon187]

I was always curious about this!

[@catherine_404]

0:29 urchin spines, aren't they made of silica oxide?

[@KhallelaB.]

It’s got a bit of both apparently: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10807377/

[@SweetWatch]

Great Great Great & Lovely effort for explanation, thanks a lot

[@dominiquefelder1809]

Praise The LORD! for His Awesome Creation AMEN!!!🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@xhok]

been waiting for this one!

[@claudioestevez1028]

There are pearl farms in different parts of the world, so it seems to be a very solid theory if the results can be reproduced so consistently.

[@hollawar1391]

woww very impressive animation style and cool chemical explanations! Thanks :)

[@Thescienceguy-a]

Very well-researched and fine-made video this is. Keep it up Ted-ed

[@subtrue3882]

Another curiosity being solved by TED🙌

[@bunnyshy]

OK but why is the thumbnail a picture of a pearl in a scallop

[@kavithakavitha990]

One of the best science animatory channel in the world 😃👏

[@rakhsingh6060_]

Well praises for the artwork of mother nature

[@jayvaghela9888]

I turned off captions to watch every inch of screen of this beautiful video.

[@CollinsPeterTz]

I Always Wanted To Know This Thank You TED

[@TSHUKHAN]

So random, but SO SATISFYING. 😊

[@ayushirathore05]

Although it looks easy but it takes sometimes years for them to make one pearl . As said 'everything can cause irritation' and hence not every pearl is round and beautiful . Hence, pearls are rare, south sea pearls are one of the most expensive ones.

[@SingiIII]

Wow,Beauty really is on the inside.❤

[@williamjayaraj2244]

Thank you for this wonderful video Ted-ed.

[@src3360]

The human body does this. It calcifies foreign things in the body. A "stone baby" is a incredibly rare pregnancy that dies inside and never expelled, the body covers it in calcium and it becomes a stone. Usually found years and years later. Look up pictures, its pretty amazing, sad but amazing...

[@Random-sk6hm]

Same with boogers. That's just a foreign invader that's been encased in mucus and later solidified. Pearls are essentially an oyster's boogers.

[@src3360]

@@Random-sk6hm I can see what your saying lol

[@babitamishra7840]

This animation style is so so beautiful♥️

[@عبدالعزيزألأزرق-و5ي]

Astounding information😃

[@MarcoMalfario]

How would they react to the irritation caused by intrusive sand if they have no central nervous system?

[@dailynewsroom]

This video is a good education for me...

[@kleverarchive1432]

So you see, when a Mommy Clam and a Daddy Clam love eachother very much...

[@REALLY-EZ-PZ]

…they make a smaller clam.

[@CoranceLChandler]

The same way we make ulcers, time and dedication

[@jamo8378]

3:24 I had to do an auditory double take because of the way he said "nacre" 🤣🤣

[@maxhill9254]

Great information and and animation

[@SoulReaver]

More Demon of Reason, please!

[@rekhashankhi5864]

You are truly speaking 🔊

[@Brian-ux3jx]

So the obvious question is...why dont they just make the outter layer of their shell out of Nacre( or whatever its called) if it is the strongest material they produce? Probably takes too long or uses too much energy im assuming.

[@J242D]

3:23

[@CosmicAcrobat]

WHAT DID HE SAY AT 3:24????

[@snehapai5049]

Can you please tell more about gemstones and it's raw form?

[@deanab-se5op]

Cute animation

[@Fundamental_Islam.]

In paradise there are homes made out of a single hollow pearl

[@Hazel.dewdrops]

Me and my sister opened a clam today, it was still producing its pearl so we just got a bunch of liquid

[@awena8295]

This is a question that my 4th grader asked me last week 🥺

[@GenderFluidDragonKing]

Oysters have to be one of my favorite animals now that is so metal they turn their enemies / predators into jewelry

[@sivasacimumporn1608]

thanks for your time up loading vdo

[@sivasacimumporn1608]

i don’t trading anything with yOU i don’t trading who have scambag mind set on hidden agendas and treating other badly

[@rainbowcake8650]

Is there a video you have on oysters life cycle? If no it could be a nice idea^^'. Alo love this video>3

[@hepsibaharish8509]

Super.👍👍👍👍👍

[@imoutodaisuki]

3:25 eyyy bestagons!!!

[@AtomicEy]

Start 3:20

[@someordinaryperson6222]

Damn that's so cool

[@theenlightenedone1283]

*There is a myth in Pakistan among the old folks that the oyster takes the 1st drop of rain and turns it into a pearl*

[@Roohullah-g2h]

Yes I studied all comments of this vedio according to organic chemistry he's one word is true because in our phushto culture a great waliullah and point he tolled in his rubbish ,,,hard yo saaski ghawher ne shu pe sadaf ki balance knowledge u can take from his books but is true pearls are made from rain drop ,it is 40/ years I am surching for original sea pearl in market most of artificial and a few with England queen and some of in digest stories.

[@davesflix]

Irritant is an incorrect term. It DOES NOT form pearls, after all mineral capable epithelial cells do not appear spontaneously at an affected area. Perforation of the outer pallial mantle is the proper term.

[@1969kodiakbear]

Pearl. Broca's area, or the Broca area is a region in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere, usually the left, of the brain with functions linked to speech production.

[@KoeSeer]

human: look at this beautiful beads oyster: that's a coffin for a worm parasite trying to attack me

[@zekebuboltz4065]

Hey, I was wondering if I could use your images and animations for a school project, I will give credit. If not, I understand. Thank you for the high quality videos!

[@koscarlynn]

Weeeeeeeeell damnnnn I was NOT expecting pearls to be leftovers

[@HangNguyen-gn7bi]

so interesting

[@Anonymous-qx9hs]

Life is fascinating.

[@jonbilgutay2]

So when you get right down to it, a pearl is a shiny spherical scar.

[@nirmalakarri3733]

"The pearls beauty is made as a result of insult"

[@ritajohannessen9804]

Thats what God does with us, to make us humble