Acusp is a pointed, projecting, or elevated feature. In animals, it is usually used to refer to raised points on the crowns of teeth. The concept is also used with regard to the leaflets of the four heart valves. The mitral valve, which has two cusps, is also known as the bicuspid valve, and the tricuspid valve has three cusps.
| Cusp | |
|---|---|
The teeth of the right side of the mouth, shown contacting the teeth in the opposing jaw with their cusp tips
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| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cuspis dentis |
| TA98 | A05.1.03.010 |
| TA2 | 925 |
| FMA | 56481 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
A cusp is an occlusalorincisal eminence on a tooth. Canine teeth, otherwise known as cuspids, each possess a single cusp, while premolars, otherwise known as bicuspids, possess two each. Molars normally possess either four or five cusps. In certain populations the maxillary molars, especially first molars, will possess a fifth cusp situated on the mesiolingual cusp known as the Cusp of Carabelli.
One other variation of the upper first premolar is the 'Uto-Aztecan' upper premolar. It is a bulge on the buccal cusp that is only found in Native American Indians, with highest frequencies of occurrence in Arizona. The name is not a dental term; it comes from a regional linguistic division of Native American Indian language groups.
There are four main cusps found on the molars of the upper dentitionoftherian mammals.
The hypocone is found on the distal lingual side of the tooth. It fits into the grooves of the lower dentition and is an adaptation for the overall grinding and tearing of foods using the occlusal (chewing side) of the tooth surface during occlusionormastication (chewing). Its strength is due to the thickness of the enamel which differs among species of hominids. The hypocone appears to have evolved independently more than twenty times in different mammal groups during the Cenozoic period.[1]
The metacone is a cusp on the molars of the upper dentitioninhominids. It is found at the buccal distal area of the tooth. The crests between the cusps are adaptations for slicing food during occlusionormastication (chewing).
The anterior of the three cusps of a primitive upper molar that in higher forms is the principal anterior and outside cusp.
The protocone is founding the molars of the upper dentitioninPlacental and Marsupial vertebrates.[2] It is found at the mesiolingual area of the tooth. The crests between the cusps are adaptations for slicing food during occlusionormastication (chewing).
