Tongue

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. A major function of the tongue is to enable speech in humans and vocalization in other animals.

amorous kiss with tongue-play

anatomical structure containing gustatory cells

The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that comprises the bulk of the body of the tongue. It arises from the mental spine of the mandible; it inserts onto the hyoid bone, and the bottom of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). The genioglossus is the major muscle responsible for protruding (or sticking out) the tongue.

The hyoglossus is a thin and quadrilateral extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It originates from the hyoid bone; it inserts onto the side of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). It acts to depress and retract the tongue.

structure on the upper surface of the tongue

The styloglossus muscle is a bilaterally paired muscle of the tongue. It originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone. It inserts onto the side of the tongue. It acts to elevate and retract the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII).

body piercing

form of do-it-yourself oral posture training

Body modification via bifurcation of the tongue

Misconception that different parts of the tongue are exclusively responsible for different tastes

tool used in medical practice

Lymphatic tissue in the tongue

small fold of mucous membrane

Muscle of the soft palate

muscle

intrinsic muscle of the tongue

Flutter-tonguing is a wind instrument tonguing technique. In this technique, performers flutter their tongue to make a characteristic "FrrrrrFrrrrr" sound. The effect varies according to the instrument and at what volume it is played, ranging from cooing sounds on a recorder to an effect similar to the growls used by jazz musicians.

intrinsic muscle of the tongue

yogic practice involving mudra, mantra and sadhana

muscle

natural bifurcation that occurs in some animals

oral hygiene device

thumb |upright=1.5 | A newspaper clipping from 1833, in which a tailor whose coat was stolen from a bowling alley advertises an offer to alter the coat to fit the thief. Tongue-in-cheek is an idiom that describes a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.

instrument that measures and compares tastes

piercing through the frenulum of the tongue

right|thumb|Timpani|Kettledrum double cross-beat. So-called because kettledrums were associated with trumpets and borrowed the terms for their rhythms from those for tonguing.