In some species that secrete hemolytic or neurotoxic poisons the poison glands also develop, and are closely associated with the fangs. Although we talked a little about teeth during our discussion of the skeletal system, we will go into more detail on teeth in our discussion of the digestive system. The development of teeth is similar to the development of scales, in that they evolve from epidermal eruptions in the skin of the jaws. The basic structure of a tooth is shown in the figure on your handout. The part of a tooth above the gum line is called the crown, the part embedded in the gum and jaw is called the root.
Teeth can vary in their permanence, their attachment, and their structural differentiation.
Not true teeth. The general structure of the oral cavity is dependent in part on the primary mode of feeding that an animal uses. For example, an animal may be a filter feeder, a suction feeder, a carnivore or herbivore, and they all will develop specific modifications of their oral cavity. The soft palate ends in a fleshy flap called the uvula, which apparently serves no purpose. The pharynx or throat follows from the oral cavity, and is continuous to the esophagus.