# Primitives

Primitives are an integral part of Shell Protocol's architecture. They are the components that directly connect to Shell's hub contract, the [Ocean](/deep-dive/the-ocean.md).

First-party [Ocean Primitives](/deep-dive/important-concepts/ocean-primitives.md) may take many forms and contain unique logic, but all enjoy advantages like reduced code complexity and gas savings.

An important primitive is the adapter. These can make any DeFi protocol or bridge instantly composable with the Shell network. There are many different adapters on Shell, each one tailored to a unique protocol.

Check out the following Ocean Primitives:

1. [Ocean Adapter](/deep-dive/primitives/adapters.md) - A generalized adapter interface for creating adapter primitives. Adapters can connect external DeFi protocols to Shell.
2. [Proteus](/deep-dive/primitives/proteus-amm-engine.md) - An AMM engine that can be used to deploy any shape bonding curve, with the ability to evolve over time.
3. [NFT Fractionalizer](/deep-dive/primitives/nft-fractionalizer.md) - This primitive allows non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to be converted into fungible units, improving asset interoperability within the protocol.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you're working on a new Ocean Primitive, reach out in the Shell [Discord](https://wiki.shellprotocol.io/getting-started/overview/community#discord) to add it here.
{% endhint %}


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