From which part of your oral cavity do you take in the food? There are your teeth which help in the ingestion of food. Do you know how it helps in digestion? In this lesson, we will learn about the structure of teeth and its role in the digestive system.
Arrangement of teeth
A human has 32 teeth; 16 in the upper part and 16 in the lower part. Our teeth are divided into 4 categories; incisors, canine, premolar and molar. There are a total of 4 incisors in the upper portion and 4 in the lower portion. There are 2 canines at the upper portion and 2 at the lower portion. There are a total of 4 molars in the upper part and 4 in the lower part. Total 12 molars are found in our oral cavity- 6 at the upper part and 6 at the lower part.
Incisors:
The first 4 teeth in the upper and lower parts, are called incisors. They are chiselled shape. They help us in cutting and biting the food.
Canine:
1 Teeth found just after the incisors at both left and right parts are called canines. They are sharp and pointed. They help in cutting and tearing the food.
Premolars:
2 teeth found after the canine on both left and right parts are termed as premolars. They help to chew and to grind the food.
Molars:
3 teeth ( for some it's 1) found after the premolars on both left and right sides are called molars. They have a rectangular shape and are used to grind and to chew the food. These are border than premolars.
Structure of the teeth:
The whole upper part of the teeth is called crown. And the part under the gums is called roots.
Enamel:
The first part of the teeth is called enamel which is the hardest part of your teeth. It protects your teeth from bacteria. It is made up of calcium.
Dentin:
Next part is called dentine which connects the crown to the root.
Pulp:
It is the last part of the crown. It has blood vessels and nerve endings. Pain always happens here because of the vessels and nerves.
Cementum:
It is present in gums which protect the root part of the teeth.
Roots of teeth are connected to the blood capillaries which supply absorbed nutrients for proper functioning.
Just like in every organ, two types of digestion take place: physical and chemical digestion.
Physical Digestion
Teeth play an important role in physical digestion by increasing the surface area to volume ratio. The chewing action of teeth makes it easier for the abdominal cavity to digest the large pieces of food.
In the next lesson we will discuss the digestive system of the human body.
*All pictures are taken from Google*
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