Mary Allen
Horns are pointed weapons that certain animals wear on their heads. The rhino even got its name from this. Many other animal species also have horns. Horns consist of a cone made of bone inside. Above that is the actual horn, which is usually hollow on the inside. On the outside is a layer of skin.
A horn is also made of skin, but the cells have died. That’s why the animals don’t feel anything. Hair and feathers, fingernails, claws and hooves, beaks, and also the scales of reptiles are made of the same material. Elephant tusks, on the other hand, are not horns but teeth that grow out of the upper jaw. They are made of a different material.
Horns are mostly curved. On the outside, they are smooth, ribbed, or screw-like. However, horns do not have branches. There are only branches in one of the antlers that the stags wear. However, antlers are not made of horns but of bone.
The animals with horns are divided into two animal families: The rhinos form their own animal family. All other animals with horns are called bovids or cattle-like. They also form their own family of animals. They include different genera: cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, gazelle, buffalo, and some others. Whether all animals wear horns or only males depends on the individual animal species.
What else is a horn?
There is also the term “cornea”. This means two different things on our body: On the one hand, it is a thicker layer of skin, such as that we wear on the soles of our feet. That’s dead skin we have to protect. We also have calluses on the inner surfaces of our hands, also for protection. We also have calluses on our eyes. It is transparent and overlies the iris and pupil.
You can cut off the tip of a horn and then blow it like a trumpet. This creates different tones. This is probably how the musical instrument called “horn” came about. Today there are many different types. However, they are no longer made of horns, but of metal. This horn is round and has several valves that can be used to change the pitch. The alphorn is made of wood and has no holes or keys. It’s still pretty much like an animal’s horn in shape, though much larger.