The Secret Strength of Shark Teeth

By well-known shark bites. Scientists continue to discover the reasons behind shark bites are extremely horrible.

Scientists at the University of Duisburg-Essen found the secret of the sea predator that is fluoride. They found the outside of the shark's teeth consists of fluoride, the active component of most of the toothpaste.

Although human teeth are protected by different minerals, both human and shark teeth are equally hard.

A close look at shark teeth found them full of flouride as well as a bit more flexible than previously imagined. (Picture from: http://news.discovery.com/)

Researchers already know that the shark's teeth never decay, and sharks are able to replace their teeth several times throughout their lives.

But the discovery that fluoride-containing tooth shark was a big surprise. "To make the teeth more resistant to acids, often containing fluoride toothpaste," said Matthias Epple, associate professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen, told Discovery News.

Two teeth of the great white shark, right, with a fossil tooth of Carcharodon megalodon and a US 25 cent coin as a scale object. (Picture from: http://www.sci-news.com/)

"On the surface of human teeth, after brushing your teeth, a small amount-less than 1 percent of the hydroxide was replaced by fluoride," he said. "Rather, the (surface) shark tooth fluoride containing 100 percent."

In principle, sharks do not suffer from dental caries. "When they live in water and they replace their teeth regularly, protective gear should not be a problem for sharks."

Researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen biomineralisasi been researching for several years. "Our main goal is to determine the effect of inorganic minerals in biological systems, such as teeth, bones and shells," said Epple. "The teeth of sharks are known to have an email, which consists of mineral fluoroapatite very hard."

By using the technique of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, scientists analyzed the sequence, size, and the nature of fluoroapatite crystals and measured the levels of violence short fin mako shark teeth (Isurus oxyrinchus), and tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvieri).

This discovery helps explain why the sharks are powerful predators, which can easily tear the prey's body. *** [DAILYMAIL | ERWIN Z | KORAN TEMPO 3959]
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