Tongue
A human tongue
Latin	lingua
Gray's	subject #242 1125
Vein	lingual
Nerve	lingual nerve
Dorlands/Elsevier	l_11/{{{DorlandsSuf}}}

The tongue is the large bundle of skeletal muscles on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition). Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Gray's Anatomy the Respiratory apparatus ( Apparatus Respiratorius Respiratory system Respiratory apparatus In the Circulatory system, a vein is a Blood vessel that carries Blood back toward the Heart (as opposed to Artery, a blood vessel The lingual veins begin on the dorsum sides and under surface of the Tongue, and passing backward along the course of the Lingual artery, end in the Internal A nerve is an enclosed cable-like bundle of peripheral Axons (the long slender projections of Neurons. The lingual nerve is a branch of the Mandibular nerve (CN V3 itself a branch of the Trigeminal nerve,which supplies sensory innervation to the tongue Elsevier, the world's largest Publisher of Medical and Scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group Skeletal muscle is a type of Striated muscle, which usually attaches to tendons The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the Alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an It is the primary organ of taste. Taste (or more formally gustation) is a form of direct Chemoreception and is one of the traditional five Senses Much of the surface of the tongue is covered in taste buds. Taste buds are small structures on the upper surface of the Tongue, Soft palate, upper Esophagus and Epiglottis that provide information about The tongue, with its wide variety of possible movements, assists in forming the sounds of speech. Speech refers to the processes associated with the production and perception of Sounds used in Spoken language. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move. For the band see Saliva (band; for the village in Azerbaijan see Səliva. ^[1]

Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 Figures of speech 2 Anatomy 2.1 Structure 2.2 Muscles of the tongue 2.2.1 Extrinsic muscles 2.2.2 Intrinsic muscles 2.3 Papillae and taste buds 2.4 Innervation of the tongue 2.5 Vasculature of the tongue 3 Use of tongue in pharmacy 4 Secondary uses 5 Non-human tongues 6 Tongue rolling 7 Tongue as a food 8 Miscellaneous facts 9 See also 10 External links 11 References

Etymology

The word tongue can be used as a metonymy for language, as in the phrase mother tongue. In Rhetoric, metonymy (mɨˈtɒnɨmi is the use of a word for a concept or object associated with the concept/object originally denoted by the word A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth In fact, Albanian (gjuha), Catalan (llengua), Portuguese (língua), French (langue), Maltese, (ilsien), Arabic (لسان lisān), Romanian (limba), Russian (язык yazyk), Bulgarian (ezik), Persian (zabaan), Greek (γλώσσα), Spanish (lengua), Polish, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian (jezik), Armenian (լեզու), Finnish (kieli), Estonian (keel), Irish, Italian (lingua), Latin (lingua), Urdu (zabaan), Aramaic (ܠܫܢܐ/לשנא lišānā), Hungarian (nyelv), Hebrew (לָשׁוֹן lashon), Turkish (dil), and Danish (tunge), have the same word for "tongue" and "language". Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Maltese (Maltese Malti is the National language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English, Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Bosnian language (Bosnian bosanski jezik) sometimes referred as Bosniak language or Bosniac language is a South Slavic language native Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Aramaic is a Semitic language with Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the A language is a dynamic set of visual auditory or tactile Symbols of Communication and the elements used to manipulate them

Figures of speech

A common temporary failure in word retrieval from memory is referred to as the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Recollection is the retrieval of Memory. It is not a passive process people employ Metacognitive strategies to make the best use of their memory and priming In Psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store retain and subsequently retrieve information The tip of the tongue ( TOT or Tot) A phenomenon (from Greek φαινόμενoν, pl φαινόμενα - phenomena) is any observable occurrence The expression tongue in cheek refers to a statement that is not to be taken entirely seriously; something said or done with subtle ironic humour. Tongue-in-cheek is a term used to refer to humor in which a statement or an entire fictional work is not meant to be taken seriously but its lack of seriousness is subtle "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. A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly "Tongue-tied" means being unable to say what you want to due to confusion or restriction.

Anatomy

Structure

The tongue is made mainly of skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is a type of Striated muscle, which usually attaches to tendons 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 oral part (anterior two-thirds of the tongue) that lies mostly in the mouth
• a pharyngeal part (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). The Oropharynx ( oral part of the Pharynx) reaches from the Soft palate to the level of the Hyoid bone. The dorsum of the Tongue is convex and marked by a median sulcus which divides it into symmetrical halves this sulcus ends about 2

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. A muscular hydrostat is a biological structure found in Animals It is used to manipulate items (including food or to move its host about and consists mainly of Muscles The Instead of bony attachments, the extrinsic muscles of the tongue 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:

normal name	anatomical name	adjective
tongue tip	apex	apical
tongue blade	lamina	laminal
tongue dorsum	dorsum (back)	dorsal
tongue root	radix	radical
tongue body	corpus	corporeal

Muscles 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

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:

Muscle	From	Nerve	Function
Genioglossus muscle	mandible	hypoglossal nerve	protrudes the tongue as well as depressing its center. The genioglossus is a Muscle of the Human body which runs from the chin to the Tongue. The mandible (from Latin mandibula, "jawbone" or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower Jaw and holds the lower teeth in place The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth Cranial nerve (XII leading to the tongue
Hyoglossus muscle	hyoid bone	hypoglossal nerve	depresses the tongue. The Hyoglossus, thin and quadrilateral arises from the side of the body and from the whole length of the greater cornu of the Hyoid bone, and passes almost vertically upward The hyoid bone ( lingual bone) (Latin os hyoideum) is a Bone in the Neck, and is the only bone in the human skeleton not articulated to any The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth Cranial nerve (XII leading to the tongue
Styloglossus muscle	styloid process	hypoglossal nerve	elevates and retracts the tongue. The Styloglossus, the shortest and smallest of the three Styloid muscles arises from the anterior and lateral surfaces of the styloid process near its apex and from the stylomandibular The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth Cranial nerve (XII leading to the tongue
Palatoglossus muscle	palatine aponeurosis	pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve	depresses the soft palate, moves the palatoglossal fold towards the midline, and elevates the back of the tongue. The palatoglossus, glossopalatinus, or palatoglossal muscle is a small fleshy fasciculus narrower in the middle than at either end forming with the mucous membrane Attached to the posterior border of the Hard palate is a thin firm fibrous Lamella called the Palatine Aponeurosis, which supports the muscles and gives strength The pharyngeal branch of the Vagus nerve, the principal motor nerve of the Pharynx, arises from the upper part of the Ganglion nodosum, and consists principally The soft palate (or velum, or muscular palate) is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the Mouth.

Intrinsic muscles

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. ^[2]

• 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. The Longitudinalis linguæ superior (Superior lingualis is a thin stratum of oblique and longitudinal fibers immediately underlying the mucous membrane on the dorsum of the Tongue It originates near the epiglottis, the hyoid bone, from the median fibrous septum. The epiglottis is a lid-like flap of Elastic cartilage tissue covered with a Mucous membrane, attached to the root of the Tongue. The hyoid bone ( lingual bone) (Latin os hyoideum) is a Bone in the Neck, and is the only bone in the human skeleton not articulated to any
• The inferior longitudinal muscle lines the sides of the tongue, and is joined to the styloglossus muscle. The Longitudinalis linguæ inferior is a narrow band situated on the under surface of the Tongue between the Genioglossus and Hyoglossus.
• The verticalis muscle is located in the middle of the tongue, and joins the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles. The Verticalis linguæ (Vertical lingualis is found only at the borders of the forepart of the Tongue.
• The transversus muscle divides the tongue at the middle, and is attached to the mucous membranes that run along the sides. The Transversus linguæ (tansverse lingualis is a Muscle of the tongue. The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin covered in Epithelium, which are involved in

The tongue is often cited as the "strongest muscle in the body," a claim that does not correspond to any conventional definition of strength. Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse" is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the

Papillae and taste buds

See also: Taste bud

The oral part of the tongue is covered with small bumpy projections called papillae. Taste buds are small structures on the upper surface of the Tongue, Soft palate, upper Esophagus and Epiglottis that provide information about There are four types of papillae:

• filiform (thread-shape)
• fungiform (mushroom-shape)
• circumvallate (ringed-circle)
• foliate (leaf-shape)

All papillae except the filiform have taste buds on their surface. The filiform papillae are thin long Papillae "V"-shaped cones that don't contain taste buds but are the most numerous The fungiform papillae are mushroom shaped papillae (projections on the Tongue. The circumvallate papillae (or vallate papillae) are of large size (dome-shaped structures and vary from eight to twelve in number Taste-buds, the end-organs of the Gustatory sense are scattered over the Mucous membrane of the mouth and tongue at irregular intervals Taste buds are small structures on the upper surface of the Tongue, Soft palate, upper Esophagus and Epiglottis that provide information about

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. The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin covered in Epithelium, which are involved in The frenulum of tongue (or lingual frenulum) is the Frenulum of the Tongue, a small fold of mucous membrane extending from the floor of the mouth to the If the lingual frenulum is too taut or too far forward, it can impede motion of the tongue, a condition called Tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia). Ankyloglossia, commonly known as tongue tie, is a Congenital Oral anomaly which may decrease mobility of the Tongue tip and is caused by an unusually

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 lingual tonsils are rounded masses of Lymphatic tissue that cover the posterior region of the Tongue.

The human tongue can detect five basic taste components: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory. Sweet is one of the five Basic tastes and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience Taste (or more formally gustation) is a form of direct Chemoreception and is one of the traditional five Senses Taste (or more formally gustation) is a form of direct Chemoreception and is one of the traditional five Senses 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. Edwin Garrigues Boring ( October 23, 1886 - July 1, 1968) was an experimental psychologist who later became one of the first Historians Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt ( August 16 1832 - August 31 1920) was a German medical doctor psychologist physiologist and professor ^[3] The common conception of taste has a significant contribution from olfaction. Olfaction (also known as olfactics or smell) refers to the Sense of smell.

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). The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth Cranial nerve (XII leading to the tongue The pharyngeal branch of the Vagus nerve, the principal motor nerve of the Pharynx, arises from the upper part of the Ganglion nodosum, and consists principally

Sensory innervation of the tongue is different for taste sensation and general sensation.

• For the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, general sensations and taste sensations are carried via different nerves. The anterior tongue (or oral part) is the portion of the Tongue in front of the terminal sulcus.
  • Somatic sensations travel from the tongue via the lingual nerve, a major branch of the mandibular nerve (itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve). The lingual nerve is a branch of the Mandibular nerve (CN V3 itself a branch of the Trigeminal nerve,which supplies sensory innervation to the tongue The mandibular nerve (V3 is the largest of the three branches of the Trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve (the fifth Cranial nerve, also called the fifth nerve or simply V) is responsible for sensation in the face This nerve also carries general sensation from areas of the oral mucosa and gingiva of the lower teeth. The gingiva (sing and plur: gingiva) or gums, consists of the Mucosal tissue that lies over the Alveolar bone.
  • Taste sensation is carried to the facial nerve via the chorda tympani. The chorda tympani is a Nerve that branches from the Facial nerve (cranial nerve VII inside the Facial canal, just before the facial nerve exits the skull The chorda tympani also carries parasympathetic fibers from the facial nerve to the submandibular ganglion. The submandibular ganglion (or submaxillary ganglion in older texts is part of the human Autonomic nervous system.
• The posterior one-third of the tounge has a more simple innervation, as both taste and general sensations are carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve. The Posterior tongue, or pharyngeal part, is the part of the Tongue behind the terminal sulcus. The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth of twelve pairs of Cranial nerves.

Vasculature of the tongue

The tongue receives its blood supply primarily from the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. The lingual artery arises from the External carotid between the Superior thyroid and Facial artery. In Human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major Artery of the head and neck 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 facial artery ( external maxillary artery in older texts is a branch of the External carotid artery that supplies structures of the face The ascending pharyngeal artery, the smallest branch of the External carotid, is a long slender vessel deeply seated in the neck beneath the other branches of the external

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. The oral mucosa is the Mucous membrane epithelium of the Mouth. 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. The blood vessels are part of the Circulatory system and function to transport Blood throughout the body This is the only convenient and efficacious route of administration of nitroglycerin to a patient suffering angina pectoris, chest pain. Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is severe Chest pain due to Ischemia (a lack of blood and hence Oxygen supply of the heart If the tablet is swallowed, the medication is completely neutralized by the detoxification process of the liver. The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals

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. A French kiss is a Kiss, usually romantic or sexual in nature in which one participant's Tongue touches the other's tongue and usually enters his or her 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. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands

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. Oral sex refers to sexual activities involving the use of the Mouth, and may include use of the Tongue, Teeth, and Throat, in order In Human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physical acts between two or more people meant to increase Sexual arousal. 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. A tongue piercing, a Body piercing through the Tongue, usually directly through its center is one of most popular piercing sites in the western world excluding Body piercing is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the Human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn Body modification (or body alteration) is the permanent or semi-permanent deliberate altering of the human body for non-medical reasons such as sexual enhancement Tongue piercing has appeared historically in many ancient cultures, and is an increasingly popular trend in the West today, particularly in youth culture. A tongue piercing, a Body piercing through the Tongue, usually directly through its center is one of most popular piercing sites in the western world excluding 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. Bubblegum (or Bubble Gum) is a type of Chewing gum especially designed for blowing bubbles. Human whistling is the production of Sound by means of a constant stream of air from the mouth

Injury to the tongue is often very painful. The muscle is vulnerable to various cancers. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled

Non-human tongues

Most multi-cellular animals, that is, members of the subkingdom Metazoa, have tongues or similar organs. The Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni) is a Mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Itch ( Latin: pruritus) is an unpleasant Sensation that evokes the desire or Reflex to scratch

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. Prehensility or Prehensile is the quality of an Appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding For example, chameleons, frogs, salamanders and some species of fish use their tongues to catch prey. Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best-known Lizard families This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. Salamander (orig from Persian: sām, "fire" and andarūn, "within" is the common name for a group of approximately 500 Species Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two 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]. In general a proboscis (from Greek προ pro "before" and βοσκειν boskein "to feed" also known as probiscus A butterfly is an Insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral The corresponding organ in ants is called the hypopharynx [4]. Ants are social Insects of the family Formicidae and along with the related families of Wasps and Bees belong to the order In human anatomy the hypopharynx (or laryngopharynx) is the bottom part of the Pharynx, and is the part of the Throat that connects to the Esophagus Molluscs have a rough tongue called a radula [5], which they use to grind food. Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 The radula is a toothed Chitinous ribbon typically used for scraping cutting and chewing food before it enters the Esophagus.

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. Mendelian inheritance (or Mendelian genetics or Mendelism) is a set of primary tenets relating to the transmission of hereditary characteristics from parent Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles 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. Twin studies are one of a family of designs in Behavior genetics which aid the study of individual differences by highlighting the role of environmental and genetic History See also History of genetics The existence of genes was first suggested by Gregor Mendel (1822-1884 who in the 1860s studied inheritance A phenotype is any observable characteristic of an Organism, such as its morphology, Development, biochemical or physiological properties ^[4][5]

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. Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods" 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. A taco ( is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a Maize or wheat Tortilla folded or rolled around a filling Beef tongue is literally the Tongue of a cow. The human consumption of beef tongue dates back to the days of Paleolithic hunters who preferred the fatty Tongue can also be prepared as birria. Birria (accent on the first syllable is a spicy Mexican meat Stew usually made with Goat, lamb, or Mutton, often served during festive Duck tongues are sometimes employed in Szechuan dishes, while lamb's tongue is occasionally employed in Continental and contemporary American cooking. For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. Szechuan cuisine, Szechwan cuisine, or Sichuan cuisine ( is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget Fried cod tongue is a relatively common part of fish meals in Norway and Newfoundland. Cod is the common name for the Genus Gadus of Fish, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name of a variety Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation

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. The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo.

Miscellaneous facts

• Tung was the original Webster spelling of tongue.
• Stephen Taylor holds the world record for the world's longest tongue. The largest body part is either the largest given body part across all animals or the largest example of a body part within a Species. 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. ^[6]

See also

• Electronic tongue
• Language
• List of Mendelian traits in humans
• Saliva
• Taste buds on the tongue
• Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
• Tongue splitting
• Tongue cleaner
• Tongue piercing
• Tongue-twister
• Vocal tract
• Tongue disease

External links

• University of Manitoba, Anatomy of the Vocal Tract

References

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