TUTORIAL 8

ANIMAL NUTRITION
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

HOW MAMMALS
FEED
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

Mammals which eat plants : herbivore Mammals which eat other animal :
carnivore

Mammals which eat both plant and animal :

omnivore
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

TYPE OF
TEETH
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

INCISORS (I)

Have sharp edge to cut off the food

SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

CANINES (C)

Large and pointed for tearing food

SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

PREMOLAR (PM) AND MOLAR

(M)

Crush or grind up the food so that it is easy to swallow

SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

THE
STRUCTURE
OF A TOOTH
 ENAMEL
Protects the tooth and
makes a hard biting surface

CROWN DENTINE
PULP CAVITY
Contain nerve endings
and small blood vessel

GUM

CEMENT
Hold tooth in jaw bones
ROOT

JAW BONES
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

HERBIVORE
TEETH
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

Herbivorous animal have well developed

incisor – used to cut grass and other
vegatation
Canines are either smaller than those
carnivore or absent altogether and broad
Flat permolars and molars – grinding food
Some herbivor – upper canines are
absent, so they cut vegetation by the
combination action of the tongue and
lower incisors
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

Teeth that start out tall can be worn down by

grinding as the animal ages without
completely destroying the tooth
Adult mammals could not replace lost teeth
the way that sharks and many reptiles can ; they
must ensure their teeth last their entire live
Mammal at extreme old age : no longer chew
their food – their teeth wear down – starve to
death
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

SKULL OF SHEEP INCISOR AND

CANIES
-grip and pull
grass

PREMOLAR
AND MOLAR
-Have ridges
-Help crush and
grind grass

Lower jar moves

from side to side
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

CARNIVORE
TEETH
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

Large mouth with sharp pointed teeth –

grasp their prey, tear off large chunks of
flesh
Jaws move up and down with minimal
sideways motion : tools for shearing, ripping
and tearing flesh
Swallow food whole or with simple
crushing
Their digestive system lacks the ability to
digest vegetable matter - cannot derived
nutrients
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

INCISOR
SKULL OF DOG -grip and pull
flesh off bone

CANNIES
-long,pointed,
curved

PREMOLAR
-Cut flesh and
crack bone

Lower and upper

jaw moves up and
down
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

OMNIVORE
TEETH
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

Teeth are suited to eat most kind of food

Teeth similar to carnivore – long, sharp,
pointed : piercing into flesh
Premolar and molar - flat edge : bitting,
crushing, grinding
The incisors of rodents grow out at the
base as fast as they wear down at the tip
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

HUMAN TEETH
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES
SCE 3101 – LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

The lower and upper jar move up and down

– also can move a little from side to side
Two sets of teeth
First set : milk set – appear when baby about
6 month
Second set : permanent set – about 5 years
old, milk teeth start to fall out
Once teeth in permanent set reach a certain
type they stop growing