The is the large bundle of
Skeletal Muscle s on the floor of the
Mouth that manipulates
Food for
Chewing And Swallowing (deglutition). It is the primary organ of
Taste . Much of the surface of the tongue is covered in
Taste Bud s. The tongue, with its wide variety of possible movements, assists in forming the sounds of
Speech . It is sensitive and kept moist by
Saliva , and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move.
The tongue is often cited as the "strongest muscle in the body," a claim that does not correspond to any conventional definition of strength. For more on this subject, see
Here .
The word can be used as a
Metonym for ''language'', as in the phrase '''
Mother Tongue '''. In fact,
Albanian (''gjuha''),
Portuguese (''língua''),
French (''langue''),
Maltese , (''ilsien''),
Arabic (لسان ''lisān''),
Romanian (''limba''),
Russian (язык ''yasek''),
Bulgarian (''ezik''),
Persian ,
Greek (γλώσσα),
Spanish (''lengua''),
Polish ,
Slovak ,
Czech ,
Slovene ,
Bosnian ,
Serbian ,
Croatian ( ''jezik''),
Armenian ,
Finnish (''kieli''),
Irish ,
Icelandic (''tunga''),
Italian ,
Latin (''linua''),
Urdu (''za'baan''),
Aramaic (ܠܫܢܐ/לשנא ''lišānā''),
Hungarian (''nyelv''),
Hebrew (לָשׁוֹן ''lashon''), and
Turkish (''dil''), have the same word for "tongue" and "
Language ". A common temporary failure in word
Retrieval from
Memory is referred to as the ''
Tip-of-the- ''
Phenomenon . The term ''
"tongue In Cheek" '' also exists. "Tongue twisted" is a term used to described being unable to pronounce a word or phrase correctly. A ''
"tongue Twister" '' is a phrase made specifically to be very difficult to pronounce.
Items relating to the tongue are often called ''lingual'', which comes from the word for tongue.
Glossa - Definitions from dictionary.com . Retrieved 24 April 2007].
The tongue is made mainly of
Skeletal Muscle . The tongue extends much further than is commonly perceived, past the posterior border of the mouth and into the oropharynx.
The dorsum (upper surface) of the tongue can be divided into two parts:
- an (anterior two-thirds of the tongue) that lies mostly in the mouth
- a (posterior third of the tongue), which faces backward to the Oropharynx
The two parts are separated by a V-shaped groove, which marks the
Sulcus Terminalis (or ''terminal sulcus'').
Since the tongue contains no bony supports for the muscles, the tongue is an example of a
Muscular Hydrostat , similar in concept to an
Octopus arm. Instead of bony attachments, the anchor the tongue firmly to surrounding bones and prevent the mythical possibility of 'swallowing' the tongue.
Other divisions of the tongue, are based on the area of the tongue:
The intrinsic muscles lie entirely within the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles attach the tongue to other structures.
The extrinsic muscles reposition the tongue, while the intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue for talking and swallowing.
Extrinsic muscles of the tongue by definition originate from structures outside the tongue and insert into the tongue. The four paired extrinsic muscles protrude, retract, depress, and elevate the tongue:
Four paired intrinsic muscles of the tongue originate and insert within the tongue, running along its length. These muscles alter the shape of the tongue by: lengthening and shortening it, curling and uncurling its apex and edges, and flattening and rounding its surface.Drake, R. et al. ''Gray's Anatomy for Students,'' Elsevier, 2005. ISBN 0-443-06612-4
- The '' Superior Longitudinal Muscle '' runs along the superior surface of the tongue under the mucous membrane, and elevates, assists in retraction of, or deviates the tip of the tongue. It originates near the Epiglottis , the Hyoid Bone , from the median fibrous septum.
- The '' Inferior Longitudinal Muscle '' lines the sides of the tongue, and is joined to the styloglossus muscle.
- The '' Verticalis Muscle '' is located in the middle of the tongue, and joins the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles.
- The '' Transversus Muscle '' divides the tongue at the middle, and is attached to the Mucous Membrane s that run along the sides.
See Also: Taste bud
(large bumps) scattered among
Filiform Papillae (small bumps).]]
The oral part of the tongue is covered with small bumpy projections called
Papillae . There are four types of papillae:
- filiform (thread-shape)
- fungiform (mushroom-shape)
- circumvallate (ringed-circle)
- foliate
All papillae except the filiform have
Taste Bud s on their surface.
The circumvallate are the largest of the papillae. There are 8 to 14 circumvallate papillae arranged in a V-shape in front of the sulcus terminalis, creating a border between the oral and pharyngeal parts of the tongue.
There are no lingual papillae on the underside of the tongue. It is covered with a smooth
Mucous Membrane , with a fold (the
Lingual Frenulum ) in the center. If the lingual frenulum is too taut or too far forward, it can impede motion of the tongue, a condition called
Tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia) .
The upper side of the posterior tongue (pharyngeal part) has no visible taste buds, but it is bumpy because of the lymphatic nodules lying underneath. These follicles are known as the
Lingual Tonsil .
The human tongue can detect five basic taste components: .
''Motor innervation'' of the tongue is complex and involves several cranial nerves. All the muscles of the tongue are innervated by the (cranial nerve X).
''Sensory innervation'' of the tongue is different for taste sensation and general sensation.
The tongue receives its blood supply primarily from the
Lingual Artery , a branch of the
External Carotid Artery . The floor of the mouth also receives its blood supply from the lingual artery.
There is also secondary blood supply to the tongue from the
Tonsillar Branch of the
Facial Artery and the
Ascending Pharyngeal Artery .
The
Sublingual region underneath the front of the tongue is a location where the
Oral Mucosa is very thin, and underlied by a plexus of veins. This is an ideal location for introducing certain medications to the body. The sublingual route takes advantage of the highly
Vascular quality of the oral cavity, and allows for the speedy application of medication into the cardiovascular system, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract. This is the only convenient and efficacious route of administration of
Nitroglycerin to a patient suffering
Angina Pectoris , chest pain. If the tablet is swallowed, the medication is completely neutralized by the detoxification process of the
Liver .
White tongue:
White spots and patches or coating of the tongue are a
Symptom of several medical conditions:
The tongue is also examined and observed diagnostically in
Traditional Chinese Medicine . A painful tongue may be an indication of several underlying serious medical conditions
1
In addition to eating and human vocalization, the human tongue has many secondary uses. These include certain forms of kissing known as "tongue kissing" or sometimes "
French Kiss ing" in which the tongue plays a primary role. Generally, use of the tongue (such as licking), or interaction between tongues, appears to be a common gesture of affection, not just in humans but throughout the animal kingdom, and particularly in
Mammal s.
The tongue also has a distinct use in both male and female forms of
Oral Sex , and is typically used to a great extent in
Foreplay and traditional sexual intercourse as well. Because of its use in both the phenomenon of human sexual interactions, the tongue sometimes is associated with a sensual or erotic connotation. In art the human tongue is often depicted as a seductive instrument, similar to the status of the
Lips .
The tongue is also one of the more common parts of the human anatomy to be subject to
Piercing and
Body Modification , a phenomenon that is sometimes associated with certain subcultures or demographics.
Tongue Piercing has appeared historically in many ancient cultures, and is an increasingly popular trend in the West today, particularly in youth culture. Pop culture references to tongue piercings are common as well.
Showing tongue (tongue out) is an international emotional gesture used primarily by children, or by adults behaving (deliberately or not) in a childish manner.
The human tongue also plays a valuable role in other acts, such as for blowing bubbles with
Bubble Gum , and
Whistling .
Injury to the tongue is often very painful. The muscle is vulnerable to various
Cancer s.
using its tongue to
Scratch an
Itch ]]
Most multi-cellular animals, that is, members of the subkingdom
Metazoa , have tongues or similar organs.
In animals, such as dogs and cats, the tongue is often used to clean the fur and body. Rough textures of the tongues of these species helps them to use their tongues to remove oils and parasites by licking themselves and each other. Aside from daily uses for eating and drinking, a dog's tongue acts as a heat regulator. As a dog increases its exercise the tongue will increase in size due to greater blood flow. The tongue hangs out of the dog's mouth and the moisture on the tongue will cool down further cooling down the bloodflow.
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Some animals have s have a rough tongue called a ''
Radula ''
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Tongue rolling is the act of rolling the tongue axially into a tube shape. The ability to roll the tongue has been generally believed to depend on
Genetic Inheritance . Tongue rolling was believed to be a
Dominant trait with simple
Mendelian Inheritance , and is still commonly used as an example in high school and introductory
Biology courses. It provided a simple experiment to demonstrate inheritance.
There is little laboratory evidence, though, for the common belief that tongue rolling is inheritable and dominant. A 1975
Twin Study found that identical twins (who share all of their
Genes ) were no more likely than fraternal twins (who share an average of half) to both have the same
Phenotype for tongue rolling.http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970226/skinny1.htmlhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=189300
The tongues of some animals are consumed and sometimes considered delicacies. In America and the United Kingdom, cow tongues are among the more common. Hot tongue sandwiches are frequently found on menus in
Kosher Delicatessen s and in America. In the United Kingdom tongue can often be found at the local grocer, where it is often sold in reformed slices of meat after being ground up and set in gelatine.
Taco De Lengua (''lengua'' being Spanish for tongue) is a taco filled with
Beef Tongue , and is especially popular in Mexican cuisine. Tongue can also be prepared as
Birria .
Duck tongues are sometimes employed in
Szechuan dishes, while
Lamb 's tongue is occasionally employed in Continental and contemporary American cooking. Fried
Cod tongue is a relatively common part of fish meals in
Norway .
Tongues are also used in sausage making. Historically, buffalo tongue was once considered an especially exquisite dish, and is one of the reasons for the
American Bison being hunted by humans to the point of near extinction.
- ''Tung'' was the original Webster spelling of tongue
- Stephen Taylor holds the world record for the world's longest tongue. It measures 9.5 centimeters from the tip to the center of his closed top lip. Annika Irmler holds the record for longest female tongue, at 7 centimeters.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_1646000/1646912.stm 'I've got the world's longest tongue'] Retrieved 24 April 2007.
