Human Tongue Anatomy

The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth. It is highly mobile and can be shifted into a number of different positions and also assume various shapes.

Human Anatomy Anatomy Of The Lingual Nerve

The tongue consists of partially interdigitated muscles we consider the muscle volumes in two ways.

Human tongue anatomy. Thank you for your input. The average tongue is four inches long. The specific arrangement of muscle fibers allows it to move freely in any direction inside the mouth cavity to performs several different tasks including eating swallowing speaking licking sucking oral cleansing and catching pray etc.

The tongues primary physiologic function is gustatory sensation tasting and aiding in mastication chewing. It lies partly in the mouth cavity and partly in the oropharynx. Tongue anatomy occupying most of the oral cavity and oropharynx your tongue is a mass of muscles.

To learn more about the body see our series of human anatomy sheets. It has a rough dorsal superior surface that abuts the palate and is populated with taste buds and lingual papillae and a smooth ventral inferior surface that is attached to the floor of the oral cavity by the lingual frenulum. The human tongue is divided into anterior and posterior parts by the terminal sulcus which is a v shaped groove.

The apex of the terminal sulcus is marked by a blind foramen the foramen cecum which is a remnant of the median thyroid diverticulum in early embryonic development. Diagram of human tongue anatomyincluding various types of papillae and the taste bud. Here are ten human tongue facts including some of its functions.

The base of the tongue is the most posterior part of the organ. Anatomy of the tongue. The functional muscle volume encompasses the region of the tongue served by the muscle.

Taste buds are collections of nerve like cells that connect to nerves running into the brain. The anterior tongue is mostly visible and about two thirds of the tongues total length. The human tongue is a muscular organ that is covered by a thin mucous membrane.

Source human tongue anatomy you may think your tongue is a single muscle. It is connected on one end to the hyoid bone which is also unique as it is the only bone not connected to any other bone in the body. Tongue anatomy parts pictures diagram of human tongue.

The tongue consists of two parts. Click to find similar content by grade or subject. The tongue is covered with moist pink tissue called mucosa.

Tiny bumps called papillae give the tongue its rough texture. The tongue is unique in that it is the only muscle that isnt connected to bone at both ends. The posterior tongue sits near the back of the throat and measures the other one third in length.

Thousands of taste buds cover the surfaces of the papillae.

Mouth Anatomy Britannica