Did you know that the tongue is the only muscle in the body that works without the support of the skeleton? Your tongue serves many functions inside your mouth including manipulating food, helps create speech and act and a natural tooth cleaner. Here are some amazing facts about your tongue that you may not have known.
Tastebud Facts
- Your tongue contains about 8000 taste buds. But did you know that there are also taste buds on your cheeks, inner lips, and roof of your mouth?
- Your tone uses taste buds to distinguish flavors. These flavors are sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and umami.
- Your taste buds have 15 receptacles that sends flavor to your brain.
- Your taste buds die and are replaced every few weeks.
More Tongue Facts
- Some people have the ability to roll or curl their tongue. Studies have shown that this is a genetic trait.
- Your tongue is unique just like your fingerprint. Your tongue has its own unique pattern.
- Your tongues the color can indicate how healthy your tongue is. A pink tongue means your tongue is healthy. White patches may indicate your body was exposed to a fungal infection. A yellow tongue gently mean you may have stomach issues or a fever. It may also be covered in plaque so be sure to brush your tongue like you do your teeth. A red tongue may indicate an infection.
- Your tongue can gain weight. As you gain weight so does your tongue. An “obese tongue” can cause issues during sleep
- As you sleep your tongue guide saliva into your throat. Your tongue is always at work.
- Your tongue is one of the fastest healing tissues in your body.
- The average tongue is about 10 cm long from the base to the tip
- Your tongue is the most flexible muscle in your body
- Your tongue harbors over 300 types of bacteria
Your Tongues Anatomy
- Taste buds: sensory organs that help us experience flavor
- Papillae: visible raised bumps on the surface of the tongue
- Microvilli: sensitive hairs that send messages to the brain
- Septum: Central prove that divides the turn into left and right
- Frenulum: the thin tissue that attaches the tongue to the bottom of your mouth
- Sublingual Caruncles: bumps on each side of the frenulum that secretes saliva
