The mouth is the opening to the oral cavity, the first chamber of the digestive tract. Describe the number and function of each type of teeth found in the oral cavity.
The teeth of the oral cavity aid in the mechanical breakup of food. There are several types of teeth: incisors (four in each jaw) for biting food, canines (one on either side of the incisors, for a total of two in each jaw) for tearing food, and premolars and molars (two and three, respectively, behind each of the two canines in each jaw) for grinding and crushing food. Incisors and canines are adapted for chewing meat. Premolars and molars are adapted for chewing plant materials. These teeth break down the non-digestible cellulose casing around plant cells so that digestive enzymes can act on the cells' contents.
