Mouth

This article is about the anatomical structure. For other uses, see Mouth (disambiguation).

For the human body part, see Human mouth.

Alligators are known for their large mouths and sharp teeth.

In animal anatomy, the mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food. The adjectival form is "buccal" derived from Latin bucca (lit. "cheek"), hence "buccal cavity", "buccal nerve", "buccal artery", etc.

Some animal phyla, including vertebrates, have a complete digestive system, with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other. Which end forms first in ontogeny is a criterion used to classify animals into protostome and deuterostome. In humans, the first space of the mouth is the mouth cavity, bounded laterally and anteriorly by the alveolar arches (containing the teeth), and posteriorly by the isthmus of the fauces.

External links

• oral+cavity at eMedicine Dictionary