what is the role of the tongue

What function does the tongue serve in humans?

The tongue (L. lingua; G. glossa) functions as a digestive organ by facilitating the movement of food during mastication and assisting swallowing. Other important functions include speech and taste. The tongue consists of striated muscle and occupies the floor of the mouth.

What function does the tongue serve in the digestive system?

The function of the mouth in the human digestive system

• The buccal cavity functions as an entrance to the digestive system. It is composed of the teeth, tongue and palate. ...
• Food leaves the mouth when the tongue and pharyngeal muscles propel it into the esophagus. ...
• Digestive tract - 'tube' from mouth to vent or anus that functions in:. ...
• Mouth. ...
• the buccal cavity - teeth, tongue, and palate. ...
• The tongue (L. ...

What are the signs of an unhealthy tongue?

Tongue Problems

• Tongue facts. Your tongue can say a lot about your health. ...
• White tongue. Color changes related to the tongue can range from a benign concern to one that requires medical attention.
• Red tongue. There are obvious causes of red color change of the tongue, such as something you ate (strawberries or red-colored foods).
• Black tongue. A black tongue is usually a harmless condition that can be caused by medications, smoking, poor oral hygiene, soft diet, or dry mouth.

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What are the five senses of the tongue?

• Sweet: tip of the tongue
• Sour: both sides of the tongue
• Salty: front sides of the tongue
• Bitter: back of the tongue
• Umami: middle of the tongue [Information source: http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/taste-buds.html]

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What is the function of the tongue?

The human tongue performs a crucial role in the ability to speak as well as in chewing and swallowing food. The tongue is a strong muscular organ anchored to the back of the mouth at the hyoid bone. The structure of the tongue leads to an understanding of its functions.

How does the tongue detect taste?

Thousands of taste buds cover the surface; these act as nerves and connect the tongue through the nervous system to the brain. All parts of the tongue are able to detect the major tastes, which include salty, sweet, bitter and sour, as it helps to chew food efficiently and pass it down the digestive tract. The action of the tongue is different ...

Is the action of the tongue stronger than the action of the tongue?

The action of the tongue is different depending on its function. When eating, for example, the action of the tongue is relatively strong. In speech, however, the tongue is more relaxed, and its action is quicker. More delicate control of the tongue allows for the many nuances of speech.

Why is the tongue important?

The tongue has several other important roles. It may protect the body with a gag reflex, preventing unpalatable and even poisonous substances from being consumed. If the posterior part of the tongue is touched, there may be a strong muscular contraction of the throat, closing it off.

What is the tongue?

Tests. The tongue is a mobile muscular organ that lies within the mouth and partly extends into the upper throat. Even though everyone knows what the tongue is, the complexity of this muscle in the mouth might be surprising. Learn about the tongue’s anatomy—including interlacing muscles, nerves, and blood supply—and how this contributes ...

How does the tongue help you swallow?

Consider how the tongue helps a person to eat food and swallow liquids. After the teeth have taken a bite with the help of the powerful muscles of the jaw, this food must be broken down into smaller pieces before it can be safely swallowed. The tongue actively moves the food within the mouth, positioning it for further degradation by the teeth. The food is mixed with saliva, ultimately becoming a manageable portion called a bolus that may be moved into the pharynx before being swallowed and passing via the esophagus into the stomach. The tongue may also help with oral cleansing, keeping food from prolonged contact with the teeth.

What nerve innervates the tongue?

All the muscles of the tongue are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (also known as cranial nerve XII) with the exception of the palatoglossus muscle that is innervated by a branch of the pharyngeal plexus. Sensation, including touch and temperature, of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue’s surface, is supplied by the lingual nerve (a branch from the trigeminal nerve ). Taste is a special sensation and it comes from the chorda tympani nerve, branching from the facial nerve. The back third of the tongue receives its general and special sensation innervation from a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Just forward of the epiglottis is a small patch of the tongue that receives its special sensation from the internal laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve .

What are the bumps on the tongue called?

This differentiation is helpful to connect its structure to specific unique functions. The bumps on the tongue are called papillae (from a Latin root meaning “nipple”) and these vary in shape and location and are associated with taste buds. The muscles within and surrounding the tongue control its movement.

What is the lingual septum?

The tongue may be further divided into right and left halves by the midline groove and just beneath the groove’s surface lies the fibrous lingual septum.

Why is it important to divide the tongue into parts?

This is important because different parts of the tongue may be supported by distinct nerves and blood vessels.

Why is the tongue important?

An important function of the tongue is the gift of speech. Through this, we can freely communicate and express ourselves verbally. The effect is caused by the tongue’s flexible muscles responsible for the different sounds we speak. This enables the tongue to move to different positions, altering the airflow expelled from our lungs causing a variation in pitch. This feat is accomplished so swiftly that the tongue is well able to produce over 90 words a minute!

Why do we use our tongue?

Our tongue is flexible enough to reach the far crevices and corners of the mouth. We instinctively use our tongues to get rid of obstacles stuck within teeth. Due to the tongue’s soft and bendy nature, it can easily press against teeth getting into those hard to reach areas without experiencing any damage. In the past, before the invention of toothpicks and floss, our ancestors had to rely on more traditional dental hygiene methods, one of which was the use of the tongue to clean and polish teeth.

How does the tongue collect food particles?

Our tongue has a specialized method of collecting food particles before our body digests it. This process is known as mastication. As you eat, your tongue produces saliva (secreted from the salivary glands) which combines with the ground up food particles. Once this occurs, the tongue then collects the particles into a batch known as ‘bolus’. It then pushes the bolus down the esophagus and into the stomach for later digestion. Practicing good oral hygiene will help aid swallowing by clearing up left behind food particles which can later develop into other bacteria and bad breath.

What is the structure of the tongue?

The structure consists of the dorsum (which is located at the top of the tongue), taste buds, and the serous glands. Typically, the tongue measures between 3.1 to 3.4 inches with the world’s longest tongue measuring 3.97 inches.

How does the tongue affect breathing?

Due to this, it directly affects the air coming in and leaving your lungs. When you lower the position of the jaw and relax the tongue muscle, you naturally allow more air to flow through. However, when you’re sleeping, the way your tongue is positioned can affect your breathing patterns and ultimately cause problems like obstructive sleep apnea and even snoring. Usually, overweight people may frequently snore due to the size and mass of the tongue. As we grow, so does our tongue.

How does the tongue affect the taste of food?

As you consume food, the taste buds relay transmissions through the brain using receptors found on the tongue. These receptors contain nerve endings that chemically react to the type of food you eat, thus, the phenomenon known as ‘taste’. Within a single taste bud lie over 100 specialized taste receptors.

Breathing

Breathing is THE most important thing we do in a day. Air is supposed to get to the lungs by passing through your nose. This happens when the tongue is up against the roof of your mouth, forcing you to breathe through your nose. Poor, low tongue position allows air to come in through the mouth and not get filtered or humidified.

Facial Development

The lower ⅔ of the face determines how one looks and is perceived in society, and the tongue plays an integral role. The tongue shapes the upper arch of your mouth and defines the floor of the nose. And, the wider the better for the airway and the cosmetics of the face.

Controlling Bruxism (Teeth Grinding or Jaw Clenching)

All of the muscles in the body have antagonistic muscles to keep all muscles “in check”. The most common ones you would know are the biceps on the front of your arm to the triceps on the back of your arm. Or, the quadriceps on the front of your thighs to the hamstrings on the back. You have a similar pairing of muscles in your mouth.

Swallowing

If breathing is the most important, then swallowing is the most frequent thing we do. The average person swallows about 2000 times a day! So, let’s do it well. The tongue must be in between the upper teeth when we swallow, or the power of the cheeks and their sucking motion will push the upper teeth and make a narrow arch.

Speech

If the tongue does not have the freedom to move around like it needs to, then speech will likely not happen. You’ve likely experienced that in a playful setting as a child when a peer told you to hold your tongue and try to talk. It doesn’t go very well! This can show up more seriously with tethered tissues or tongue ties.

What is the role of the tongue in the body?

The tongue is a unique organ located in the oral cavity that not only facilitates perception of gustatory stimuli but also plays important roles in mastication and deglutition. Additionally, the tongue is an integral component of the speech pathway, as it helps with articulation.

Why is the tongue important?

As is the case with all of anatomy, it is important to understand the terminology associated with describing the structures of interest.

What is the prefix for the tongue?

The prefix gloss- and the suffix -glossus are commonly used with reference to the tongue. Therefore, the name glossopharyngeus refers to the muscle arising from the tongue and inserting in the pharynx. Similarly, the name hyoglossus speaks of a muscle originating at the hyoid bone and inserting in the tongue.

Where is the presulcal tongue located?

It terminates at the sulcus terminalis; which can be seen extending laterally in an oblique direction from the foramen cecum towards the palatoglossal arch. The mucosa of the dorsal surface of the oral tongue is made up of circumvallate, filiform, and fungiform papillae. There is also a longitudinal midline groove running in an anteroposterior direction from the tip of the tongue to the foramen cecum. This marks the embryological point of fusion of the lateral lingual swellings that formed the oral tongue. It also represents the location of the median lingual (fibrous) septum of the tongue that inserts in the body of the hyoid bone .

What is the anterior part of the tongue called?

The anterior part of the tongue is also called the oral or presulcal part of the tongue. Conversely, the posterior part of the tongue is referred to as the pharyngeal or postsulcal part of the tongue.

Which part of the tongue is posterior to the sulcus terminalis?

Posterior third. The remainder of the tongue that lies posterior to the sulcus terminalis is made up by the base of the organ. It lies behind the palatoglossal folds and functions as the anterior wall of the oropharynx. Unlike the oral tongue, the pharyngeal tongue does not have any lingual papillae.

How long is the tongue?

While there is significant variability in the length of the tongue among individuals, on average, the organ is roughly 10 cm long. It has three main parts: The tip or apex of the tongue is the most anterior, and most mobile aspect of the organ. The tip is followed by the body of the tongue.

What are the functions of the tongue?

Main Functions of Tongue 1 On the surface of the tongue there are tiny papillae, they are in large number and the main function of the papilla is they act as taste buds. Tongue can distinguish the taste of the food, such as bitter, sour, sweet and salty. 2 Tongue is responsible for speech. Short tongue or tongue tie patients will have difficulty in pronouncing words. The sound that is produced from the voice box needs the help of the tongue to make a word more audible and apprehensible. 3 Tongue helps to keep the oral cavity clean. The food particles attached to the teeth are cleared by tongue. 4 Tongue helps to identify the thermal nature of the food, whether it is hot or cold.

What is the function of the tongue in the digestive system?

Functions of Tongue in Digestive System. Tongue in assimilation of food: due to its muscular nature, tongue can manipulate in any direction, this facilitates the food to be properly mixed with saliva.

Why does the tongue help the voice box?

The sound that is produced from the voice box needs the help of the tongue to make a word more audible and apprehensible. Tongue helps to keep the oral cavity clean. The food particles attached to the teeth are cleared by tongue. Tongue helps to identify the thermal nature of the food, whether it is hot or cold.

What is the function of the papillae?

On the surface of the tongue there are tiny papillae, they are in large number and the main function of the papilla is they act as taste buds. Tongue can distinguish the taste of the food, such as bitter, sour, sweet and salty. Tongue is responsible for speech.

Why is the tongue important to humans?

The muscular articulation that allows the tongue to guide food through mastication and deglutition also gives humans the ability to speak. The tongue is so vital an instrument of speech, it has become a metonym, or alternate term, for language.

What is the condition of tongue-tied?

The condition of a shortened membrane is called ankyloglossia, or more popularly, "tongue-tied.".

What is the silver tongue?

When people refer to their native or mother tongue or call an eloquen t orator a "silver tongue," they are referring in part to the tongue's close connection to speech. Phoneticians, people who study the sounds of speech, use the position of the tongue to classify universal vowel sounds.

Is tongue piercing a form of mutilation?

Some lawmakers have criticized the practice, which is often performed without anesthesia with just a heated scalpel or fishing line threaded through a piercing, as a form of mutilation. The American Dental Association opposes tongue-splitting along with its more conventional cousin, tongue piercing.

Does ankyloglossia affect speech?

However, some medical studies debate the assumption that ankyloglossia affects normal speech [source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, " Tongue-tie "]. Because of the tongue's importance, prominence and delicacy, it is often subjected to mutilation or modification.

How to feel the roots of your tongue?

You can feel these muscles by pressing a fingertip under your chin, up towards the tongue . Those muscles should be soft and gooey, especially during phonation.

What is the term for the process of pulling the tongue back?

pulls the tongue tip back. troughs the tongue. Styloglossus: styloid process behind ear to tongue. pulls the tongue upward and back. Palatoglossus: palate to tongue. pulls the tongue back to grove the tongue. Hyoglossus: hyoid bone to tongue. retracts or depresses the tongue. elevates the hyoid bone.

What is the most important articulator of speech?

Articulation:Tongue. The tongue is the most important articulator of speech. This muscle is extremely strong, as it must move food around in our mouths as we chew. Its other biological function is to push the food into a bolus (I prefer the less scientific term "glob"), and then push it down the oesophagus to our stomach.

Why is awareness important?

awareness is essential for delicate control of alveolar plosives , such as /t, d/. the surface of the tongue begins to change here; awareness is important for certain back vowels. a divider that runs down the centre of the tongue serves as an attachment for the transverse muscles.

Why is my tongue enlarged?

Thyroid disease, lymphangiomas, and congenital abnormalities are among some of the causes of an enlarged tongue. Geographic tongue: Ridges and colored spots migrate over the surface of the tongue, periodically changing its appearance. Geographic tongue is a harmless condition.

What is the tether of the tongue called?

The tongue is anchored to the mouth by webs of tough tissue and mucosa. The tether holding down the front of the tongue is called the frenum. In the back of the mouth, the tongue is anchored into the hyoid bone. The tongue is vital for chewing and ...

Why does my tongue get bumpy?

Atrophic glossitis (bald tongue): The tongue loses its bumpy texture, becoming smooth. Sometimes this is due to anemia or a B vitamin deficiency. Canker sores (aphthous ulcers): Small, painful ulcers appear periodically on the tongue or mouth.

What is the best way to get rid of hairy tongue?

Swish-and-spit mouthwash and pills are both effective. Tongue scraping: Simply scraping the tongue can usually remove the overgrown papillae causing black or white hairy tongue. B vitamins: A B vitamin supplement can correct a vitamin deficiency, if present.

What is the pink tissue on the tongue?

All rights reserved. The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth. The tongue is covered with moist, pink tissue called mucosa. Tiny bumps called papillae give the tongue its rough texture. Thousands of taste buds cover the surfaces of the papillae.

What are the four tastes of food?

The tongue is vital for chewing and swallowing food, as well as for speech. The four common tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. A fifth taste, called umami, results from tasting glutamate (present in MSG).

Does the tongue have a taste map?

Because of this, all parts of the tongue can detect these four common tastes; the commonly described “taste map” of the tongue doesn’t really exist.