Difference between revisions of "Veterinary Education Online"
Line 135: | Line 135: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|style="color:#000;"| | |style="color:#000;"| | ||
− | Teeth develop differently in different regions of the mouth in most species, a process called heterodonty. In some animals teeth | + | Teeth develop differently in different regions of the mouth in most species, a process called heterodonty. In some animals teeth develop identically in different regions of the mouth, a process called homodonty. Different species will have varying numbers of teeth and different shapes depending largely on diet. |
Not all species possess teeth and there is huge variation in dental formulae between the species that have teeth. Teeth are mainly used for mastication - chewing and grinding food particles, but are also used for seizing prey and tearing. The occlusion surface is where opposing teeth touch. The contact surface is where adjacent teeth touch. | Not all species possess teeth and there is huge variation in dental formulae between the species that have teeth. Teeth are mainly used for mastication - chewing and grinding food particles, but are also used for seizing prey and tearing. The occlusion surface is where opposing teeth touch. The contact surface is where adjacent teeth touch. |
Revision as of 14:13, 13 January 2009
Welcome to WikiVet,
A collaborative initiative between the UK Vetschools to develop a comprehensive on-line veterinary knowledge base.
5,936 articles.
|