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The oral part of the tongue is covered with small bumpy projections called papillae. There are four types of papillae:
All papillae except the filiform have taste buds 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: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory[citation needed]. The sense of taste is referred to as a gustatory sense. Contrary to the popular myth and generations of schoolbooks, there are no distinct regions for tasting different tastes. This myth arose because Edwin G. Boring replotted data from one of Wundt's students (Hanig) without labeling the axes, leading some to misinterpret the graph as all or nothing response.[3] The common conception of taste has a significant contribution from olfaction.
[edit] Innervation of the tongue
Motor innervation of the tongue is complex and involves several cranial nerves. All the muscles of the tongue are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII) with one exception: the palatoglossal muscle is innervated by the pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve (cranial nerve X).
Sensory innervation of the tongue is different for taste sensation and general sensation.
[edit] Vasculature of the tongue
The underside of a human tongue
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.
[edit] Use of tongue in pharmacy
The sublingual region underneath the front of the tongue is a location where the oral mucosa is very thin, and underlain 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.[citation needed]
[edit] Diseases and malformations
- White tongue: White spots and patches or coating of the tongue are a symptom of several medical conditions:
The tongue is examined and observed diagnostically in traditional Chinese medicine. A painful tongue may be an indication of several underlying serious medical conditions[4]
[edit] Secondary uses
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 kissing" 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 mammals.
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 cancers.
[edit] Non-human tongues
A Giraffe makes rude with a patron at the Nairobi Giraffe Centre.
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.[1][2]
Some animals have prehensile tongues. For example, chameleons, frogs, salamanders and some species of fish use their tongues to catch prey. Many insects have a type of tongue called a proboscis that is used for the same purpose or, in the case of butterflies, to drink nectar [3]. The corresponding organ in ants is called the hypopharynx [4]. Molluscs have a rough tongue called a radula [5], which they use to grind food.
[edit] Tongue rolling
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.[5][6]
[edit] Tongue as a food
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 delicatessens 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 and Newfoundland.
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.[citation needed]
[edit] Miscellaneous facts
- 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.[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[edit] References
- , Maton, Anthea; Jean Hopkins, Charles William McLaughlin, Susan Johnson, Maryanna Quon Warner, David LaHart, Jill D. Wright (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1.
- , Drake, R. et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students, Elsevier, 2005. ISBN 0-443-06612-4
- , Bartoshuk, L.M. (1989). Taste: Robust across the Age Span? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 561, pp. 65-75.
- , Painful tongue.
- , Discovery Online, The Skinny On... Tongue Rolling
- , Omim - Tongue Curling, Folding, Or Rolling
- , 'I've got the world's longest tongue' Retrieved 24 April 2007.
(Source: Wikipedia) |
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