The tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition). It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. A secondary function of the tongue is speech, in which the organ assists. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move.
The tongue is made mainly of skele...
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The tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition). It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. A secondary function of the tongue is speech, in which the organ assists. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move.
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:
The two parts are separated by a V-shaped groove, which marks the Terminal sulcus (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...
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