The Vertebrate SkeletonReynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Science
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Reynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Skeleton
In a few animals, such as Lampreys and _Ornithorhynchus_, the jaws
bear horny tooth-like structures of epidermal origin.
The =enamel= of teeth and of placoid scales is also epiblastic in
origin[2], and it may be well at this point to give some account of
the structure of teeth, though they are partly mesoblastic in origin.
The simplest teeth are those met with in sharks and dogfish, where
they are merely the slightly modified scales developed in the
integument of the mouth. They pass by quite insensible gradations into
normal placoid scales, such as cover the general surface of the body.
A =placoid scale=[3] is developed on a papilla of the dermis which
projects outwards and backwards, and is covered by the columnar
Malpighian layer of the epidermis. The outer layer of the dermal
papilla then gradually becomes converted into dentine and bone, while
enamel is developed on the inner side of the Malpighian layer, forming
a cap to the scale. The Malpighian and horny layers of the epidermis
get rubbed off the enamel cap, so that it comes to project freely on
the surface of the body.
As regards their attachment teeth may be (1) attached to the fibrous
integument of the mouth, or (2) fixed to the jaws or other bones of
the mouth, or (3) planted in grooves, or (4) in definite sockets in
the jaw-bones (see p. 107).
Teeth in general consist of three tissues, =enamel=, =dentine= and
=cement=, enclosing a central pulp-cavity containing blood-vessels and
nerves. Enamel is, however, often absent, as in all living Edentates.
=Enamel= generally forms the outermost layer of the crown or visible
part of the tooth; it is the hardest tissue occurring in the animal
body and consists of prismatic fibres arranged at right angles to the
surface of the tooth. It is characterised by its bluish-white
translucent appearance.
II. MESOBLASTIC (mesodermal).
=Dentine= or =ivory= generally forms the main mass of a tooth. It is a
hard, white substance allied to bone. When examined microscopically
dentine is seen to be traversed by great numbers of nearly parallel
branching tubules which radiate outwards from the pulp-cavity. In
fishes as a rule, and sometimes in other animals, a variety of dentine
containing blood-vessels occurs, this is called =vasodentine=.
=Cement= or =crusta petrosa= forms the outermost layer of the root of
the tooth. In composition and structure it is practically identical
with bone. In the more complicated mammalian teeth, besides enveloping
the root, it fills up the spaces between the folds of the enamel.
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