Tongue
Muscular organ for taste, chewing, swallowing, and speech.
Stephanie cheks · CC BY-SA 4.0
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 also serves as a natural means of cleaning the teeth and enables speech in humans and vocalization in other animals.
- average length
- 10 cm from oropharynx to tip
- average weight (adult male)
- 99 g
- average weight (adult female)
- 79 g
- muscles
- 8 (4 intrinsic, 4 extrinsic)
- nerve supply
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) for motor, except palatoglossus (vagus nerve CN X); chorda tympani (CN VII) for taste in anterior two-thirds
Lore & Background
The word tongue derives from Old English tunge, from Proto-Germanic *tungōn, with cognates in many Germanic languages. The ue ending appeared in the fourteenth century as an attempt to show 'proper pronunciation' but is 'neither etymological nor phonetic.' In phonetics, sounds made with the tongue tip are apical, and those with the blade are laminal. Tongue posture plays a role in mouth and face development.
Reader's Guide
The tongue is essential for multiple vital functions: it manipulates food for chewing and swallowing, is the primary organ of taste, and enables speech in humans and vocalization in other animals. Its structure as a muscular hydrostat allows precise movements for these tasks. The division into anterior and posterior parts reflects different embryological origins and nerve supplies: the anterior two-thirds receive taste via the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve, while the posterior part is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve. The tongue's rich blood supply from the lingual artery makes it a site for controlling severe hemorrhage. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic muscles explains how the tongue can both change shape and move position. The tongue's role in cleaning teeth and its involvement in mouth and face development highlight its broader physiological importance. The etymology of the word tongue shows linguistic evolution across Germanic languages, with a spelling change in the fourteenth century that was not etymologically justified.
Did You Know?
- The tongue is a muscular hydrostat that forms part of the floor of the oral cavity.
- The genioglossus muscle is known as the tongue's 'safety muscle' because it is the only muscle that propels the tongue forward.
- The foramen cecum is a remnant of the median thyroid diverticulum in early embryonic development.
- The word tongue derives from Old English tunge, from Proto-Germanic *tungōn, with cognates in many Germanic languages.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tongue?
Tongue is the muscular organ occupying the oral cavity of a typical tetrapod. It spans roughly 10 cm from the oropharynx to its tip and averages about 99 g in an adult male or 79 g in an adult female.
What are Tongue's powers/role?
Tongue manipulates food during chewing and swallowing, serves as the body's principal taste organ, helps clean the teeth, and—uniquely in humans—enables speech while supporting vocalization in other species.
What's Tongue's muscle team?
Eight muscles drive Tongue's movements: four intrinsic muscles reshape it, and four extrinsic muscles reposition it. Motor innervation comes mainly from the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), with the palatoglossus as the sole exception, supplied instead by the vagus nerve (CN X).
How does Tongue handle taste?
Taste signals from the anterior two-thirds of Tongue travel via the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve (CN VII). Together with posterior sensory pathways, this makes Tongue the body's dedicated organ for detecting flavor.
Why is Tongue important?
Without Tongue, efficient chewing, swallowing, and speech would all collapse, and the sense of taste would be severely impaired. It is a compact organ that simultaneously bridges digestion, communication, and sensory perception.
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