Tongue

About the Tongue

The tongue is a muscular organ in the oral cavity involved in taste, speech, mastication, and swallowing. It has intrinsic muscles altering shape and extrinsic muscles genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, palatoglossus changing position. The dorsal surface has papillae: filiform most numerous, no taste buds, mechanical. Fungiform on tip and sides, contain taste buds. Foliate on posterior lateral surfaces. Circumvallate large, V shaped row anterior to sulcus terminalis, each surrounded by von Ebner glands. Several thousand taste buds, each containing dozens of continually renewed taste receptor cells, are located mainly on the fungiform, foliate, and circumvallate papillae. Five basic tastes: sweet energy, umami protein, salty electrolytes, sour acids, bitter toxins. Taste pathways: anterior two thirds via chorda tympani branch of facial nerve CN VII, posterior one third via glossopharyngeal nerve CN IX. The tongue is critical for speech articulation particularly for lingual sounds t, d, l, n, s, z. Ankyloglossia tongue tie restricts tongue movement from a short or tight lingual frenulum, potentially affecting breastfeeding and speech.