what is ivory

Ivory is a hard, white material that comes from the tusks and teeth of animals, consisting mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin, but ivory contains structures of mineralized collagen. Ivory is viewed as a status symbol and has been used to produce ornaments, figurines, and small carvings, as well as for trading. Elephants are most known for their ivory, which is actually massive teeth that protrude well beyond the mouths of elephants. Unlike antlers that are shed annually, tusks evolved from incisor teeth that continually grow over the course of the animal’s lifetime. Ivory tusks are deeply rooted and much of the tusk is made up of dentine, a hard, dense, bony tissue, and the whole tusk is wrapped in enamel, the hardest animal tissue and the part of the tusk that manages the most wear and tear. Elephants use tusks to dig for roots and water, strip bark off of trees, fight other elephants to determine dominance, and protect themselves against predators. Ivory can also be produced synthetically, hence not requiring the retrieval of the material from animals.