mouthpart

Mouthparts are the structures at the entrance to an animal's digestive system that are used to capture, manipulate, and ingest food. They range from simple gaps or beaks to complex, jointed appendages. The form of mouthparts is strongly influenced by diet and habitat and may include cutting, grinding, piercing, or lapping actions, often with accompanying sensory organs.

In vertebrates, the mouth includes lips, teeth, palate, tongue, and a jaw apparatus. Mammals generally have paired jaws and teeth arranged for cutting and grinding, while birds possess beaks instead of teeth and may rely on the tongue and beak for food processing. Reptiles and some fishes show variations such as beaks or knife-like jaws and specialized teeth. The tongue commonly helps manipulate food and aids in swallowing and taste.

In arthropods, mouthparts are highly modified and often composed of a labrum, mandibles, maxillae, and a labium with accessory structures called palps. Insects show many feeding specializations: chewing (grasshoppers), piercing-sucking (mosquitoes, aphids), siphoning (butterflies, moths), sponging (houseflies), and chewing-lapping (bees).

In crustaceans, the mouthparts typically include mandibles, maxillules, maxillae, and maxillipeds, which handle, cut, and convey food to the mouthparts. These structures are often adapted to the animal's diet, such as detritus, algae, or small prey. Across animal groups, mouthpart morphology reflects evolutionary trade-offs between efficiency, protection, and sensory input.