Scientists have discovered that the teeth of marine mollusks known as limpets are made of the strongest biological material ever found.
Limpets, small marine mollusks with ridged conical shells that resemble open umbrellas, have teeth that are thought to be the strongest biological material ever found.
They have even measured five times stronger than most spider silk, the previous record holder, and represent a similar pressure required to form diamonds from carbon deep in the earth.
About a hundred rows of these hard teeth lie under a tongue-like appendage called a radula.
To feed, the limpets roll their radula over the surface of the rock they are on, and the teeth underneath scrape the algae food towards their mouth.
They basically excavate rock when they eat, and without the super hard material, they would die from starvation.
The teeth are made of a composite material with super thin, tightly packed mineral and protein-based fibers bound together by a natural polymer.
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