mouth and teeth Flashcards
components, functions, adaptations and dental formulas
what is the incisors’ purpose?
fine nibbling and cutting
delicate grooming
what is the canines’ purpose?
holding prey
tearing meat
what is the premolars’ purpose?
shearing flesh
grinding food
what is the molars’ purpose?
shearing
grinding
explain how carnivores have adapted to their diet
diet consisting of meat
canines hold prey, pierce skin and rip meat
carnassial teeth shear meat- this is more efficient than tearing
carnivores lack the enzyme cellulase so cannot digest cellulose
the carnivore jaw moves up and down
explain how herbivores have adapted to their diet
diet consisting of plant material
incisors used to cut up plant material
ruminants don’t have upper incisors but a hard dental pad
ruminants also do not have canine teeth
molars continuously grow as they are worn down by silica in plants
the diastema helps herbivores to move food towards their molars
they grind food down and mix it with a lot of saliva
the herbivore jaw moves side to side
explain how omnivores have adapted to their diet
diet consisting of meat and plant material
incisors and canines used to cut up meat
flat molars used to grind up plant material
certain adaptations will depend on primary food sources
the omnivore jaw moves up and down as well as side to side
What are the Maxillary teeth?
The teeth located ‘on top’ - embedded into the upper jaw
What are the Mandibular teeth?
The ‘bottom teeth’ - embedded into the lower jaw
What does the number in front of the formulae mean?
for example 2(I3/I3, C1/C1, P4/P4, M2/M3)
You have to multiply the number of teeth expressed by the dental formula by that number. So, for this example you would multiply
the formula by 2
What are bird beaks made of?
blood vessels
bone
keratin
Does a bird beak stop growing?
No, they grow continuously
What helps wear the bird beak down?
Grooming
Climbing
Feeding
What is the general shape of a bird beak?
Having a hooked or cured tip
