The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals. Arthropods In arthropods, the jaws are chitinous and oppose laterally, and may consist of mandibles, chelicerae, or loosely, pedipalps. Their function is fundamentally for food acquisition, conveyance to the mouth, and/or initial processing (mastication or chewing). Vertebrates In most vertebrates, the jaws are bony or cartilaginous and oppose vertically, comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw. Bones of the jaw In vertebrates, the lower jaw, dentary or mandible is the mobile component that articulates at its posterior processes, or

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