The Tongue
The Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth, or oral cavity, that aids in various functions such as chewing, speaking and breathing.
The tongue is a digestive organ that not only moves food around your mouth but also helps with chewing and swallowing.
Other tongue functions include the delivery of different sounds to assist in speech development. The tongue is also important in keeping the airway open so you can breathe properly.
Essential Functions of the Tongue
Tasting
The tongue is best known for providing a sense of taste. Humans can sense five basic types of tastes:
- Sweet
- Salty
- Bitter
- Sour
- Umami
A sense of taste assists the brain in deciding whether what is eaten has nutritional value or not.
For example, in most cases, very bitter or sour tastes can be a sign that food has gone bad and should not be eaten. On the other hand, tastes that are salty or sweet signal that those foods have a high number of calories.
Chewing
Mastication, or chewing, is the breaking down of food using saliva.
When chewing food, the tongue performs an important function in ensuring that food particles and saliva mix properly.
When food is chewed properly, the body gains better access to its nutrients. Food that has been thoroughly chewed is also easier to swallow and digest.
The tongue’s purpose in the digestive system is to transport food around the mouth, mix it with saliva and produce a decent-sized portion of food, known as a bolus, to aid swallowing.
Swallowing
When food is thoroughly chewed and combined with saliva, it forms a ball known as a bolus.
The tongue pushes the bolus towards the rear of the mouth and into the oesophagus, which is the organ that food travels through to reach the stomach for digestion.
Speech and Sound Formation
The tongue plays an extremely important role in speaking and sound-making.
During speech, air flows up from your lungs and vibrates your vocal cords. As the vibrations make their way through the oral cavity, they can make different sounds depending on how the tongue, teeth and lips are shaped.
Keeping the Tongue Healthy
The tongue is covered with a mucous membrane that keeps it moist and prevents it from drying out. A healthy tongue should always be wet.
If you have a dry mouth, you will notice your tongue becoming dried out, red and irritated. Without moisture on the tongue, your taste buds may dry up, making food taste strange.
The ridges on the surface of your tongue make it easier for bacteria to grow there. If left alone, these bacteria can cause bad breath and damage the rest of your mouth.
Brushing your tongue, as well as your teeth and gums, will assist in eradicating bacteria.