Very sharp blades

2004/11/11 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biokimika
• Genetika

The rat can also reduce wooden furniture, plastic containers and metal tubes. They are rodents and have some of the sharpest incisors.

The secret of these sharp incisors lies in the cultivation of enamel. In most mammals, including men, enamel covers the entire tooth, but in the case of rodents, enamel only grows in the outer part of the tooth, in contact with the lips.

Thanks to this, as the cuts are used, instead of draining, they sharpen. As can be seen in the image, the inner part of the tooth is eroded faster than the outer one. In addition, the rodent teeth grow constantly and that also helps.

Photo: Wang et al.