Biometal is the absolute coolest shit, there's some spiders and insects that incorporate metal into their fangs to pierce chitin.
Moreover, the metals—mainly iron, copper, manganese and zinc—are present only in very small parts of the animal. This may include the very tips of scorpion or crab claws, the tiny fangs of spiders, or the jagged teeth on the mandibles of ants. The structures are small but undergo proportionally large stresses as they come into contact with the environment.
MedCityMoto on June 1st, 2018 at 11:16 UTC »
That's the most meta "nature is metal" factoid I've ever seen
JoeyLumberpile on June 1st, 2018 at 11:42 UTC »
Biometal is the absolute coolest shit, there's some spiders and insects that incorporate metal into their fangs to pierce chitin.
worstdude on June 1st, 2018 at 14:11 UTC »
TIL Beavers actually have a second row of teeth...