Tongue

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Tongue (disambiguation).

Tongue

The human tongue

Details

Precursor pharyngeal arches, lateral lingual swelling, tuberculum

impar[1]

System Alimentary tract, gustatory system

 Artery lingual, tonsillar branch, ascending pharyngeal

Vein lingual

Nerve 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.