Jaw

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/jaw

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Mandibula (lower jaw), Maxilla (upper jaw)
2. What is the evolutionary origin?Hypothesized to have evolved from anterior gill arches in early jawless vertebrates
3. What is a jaw and what parts make it up?The jaw is a strong bone structure that lets animals bite and chew. It is made mainly of the mandible (lower jaw) and maxilla (upper jaw). These bones work with muscles to move the mouth.
4. How do different animals use their jaws?Carnivores have big temporalis muscles for a strong bite, while herbivores have big masseter muscles to grind food. Some animals, like hyenas, can crush bone, and birds use beaks that act like jaws.

Mandible: The lower jawbone, typically a single bone in mammals, crucial for mastication.
Maxilla: The upper jawbone, fused in many vertebrates, housing teeth and forming part of the facial structure.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ): The joint connecting the mandible to the skull, enabling jaw movement.
Agnathans: A superclass of primitive jawless fish, representing early vertebrate evolution.