Shark skin under a microscope. Shark skin doesnt look like normal fish skin. Its made of microscopic diamond shaped scales with rough edges, called denticles. These are thought to share an evolutionary origin with teeth - indeed, they have much more in common with teeth than with scales. Like teeth, they consist of a central cavity made of pulp surrounded by dentine and enamel. The flexible but irregular surface is impossible for barnacles and other micro-organisms to cling to, as well as decreasing drag and turbulence. So just when you thought sharks couldnt get any scarier, it turns out that their entire bodies are literally COVERED with teeth. Hat tip to the American Museum of Natural History.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 04:31:58 +0000
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