Sensory Anterior two-thirds: Lingual (sensation) and chorda tympani (taste) Posterior one-third: Glossopharyngeal (IX) Motor Hypoglossal (XII), except palatoglossus muscle supplied by the pharyngeal plexus via vagus (X)
Lymph
Deep cervical, submandibular, submental
Identifiers
Latin
lingua
MeSH
D014059
TA98
A05.1.04.001
TA2
2820
FMA
54640
Anatomical terminology
[edit on Wikidata]
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste buds housed in numerous lingual papillae. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels. The tongue also serves as a natural means of cleaning the teeth.[2] A major function of the tongue is the enabling of speech in humans and vocalization in other animals.
The human tongue is divided into two parts, an oral part at the front and a pharyngeal part at the back. The left and right sides are also separated along most of its length by a vertical section of fibrous tissue (the lingual septum) that results in a groove, the median sulcus, on the tongue's surface.
There are two groups of muscles of the tongue. The four intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue and are not attached to bone. The four paired extrinsic muscles change the position of the tongue and are anchored to bone.
^hednk-024—Embryo Images at University of North Carolina
^Maton, Anthea; Hopkins, Jean; McLaughlin, Charles William; Johnson, Susan; Warner, Maryanna Quon; LaHart, David; Wright, Jill D. (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, US: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1.
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and...
silver tongue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A "silver tongue" implies one with a tendency to be eloquent and persuasive in speaking. Silver tongue may...
cataglottism or a tongue kiss, is an amorous kiss in which the participants' tongues extend to touch each other's lips or tongue. A kiss with the tongue stimulates...
Tonguing is a technique used with wind instruments to enunciate notes using the tongue on the palate or the reed or mouthpiece. A silent "tee" is made...
Caviar tongue is a condition characterized by the purplish nodular swelling of veins found on the undersurface of the tongue. It is normal for there to...
Beef tongue (also known as neat's tongue or ox tongue) is a cut of beef made of the tongue of a cow. It can be boiled, pickled, roasted or braised in...
Tongue bifurcation, splitting or forking, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside...
Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is an activity or practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers...
The Mother Tongue is a 1990 book by Bill Bryson which compiles the history and origins of the English language and its various quirks. It is subtitled...
A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical...
Native Tongue(s) may refer to: Native Tongues (book), a non-fiction book about languages by Charles Berlitz published in 1982 Native Tongue (Carl Hiaasen...
Tongue and groove is a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with wood, in flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar...
or the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae. It enters fish through the gills. The female attaches to the tongue, while...
Old Tongue or The Old Tongue may refer to: An ancient language An extinct language Old Tongue (poem), by Jackie Kay Old Tongues, a 1994 Dutch film The...
Geographic tongue, also known by several other terms, is a condition of the mucous membrane of the tongue, usually on the dorsal surface. It is a common...
Tongue rolling is the ability to roll the lateral edges of the tongue upwards into a tube. The tongue's intrinsic muscles allow some people to form their...
The frenulum (or frenum) of the tongue, tongue web, lingual frenulum, frenulum linguae, or fraenulum is a small fold of mucous membrane extending from...
The tongue map or taste map is a common misconception that different sections of the tongue are exclusively responsible for different basic tastes. It...
The Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO) is the name of a region of much deeper water in the Bahamas separating the islands of Andros and New Providence. The TOTO...
In Tongues may refer to: Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the phenomenon of speaking in unintelligible utterances (often as part of religious practices)...
Montana Tongue River Dam Tongue River Indian Reservation Tongue River Reservoir State Park Tongue River Railroad, a proposed rail line Tongue River (Texas)...
Fissured tongue is a benign condition characterized by deep grooves (fissures) in the dorsum of the tongue. Although these grooves may look unsettling...
A tongue twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken (or sung) word game. Additionally...
Blue Tongue may refer to : Blue-tongued skink Bluetongue disease Blue Tongue Entertainment - an Australian video game developer Blue Tongue bush or Straits...
Global Information