Identifying the Tongue and its Functions

The tongue is a sense of taste that consists of a number of parts and has a variety of functions. Recognizing the part of the tongue and its functions can help us realize how to maintain overall oral health. Besides functioning as a taste bud, the tongue also has several main functions, including helping us communicate, chew, and swallow food. In general, the tongue can taste four main flavors, namely sweet, sour, bitter and salty. And one additional flavor, umami or savory, found in monosodium glutamate or MSG. To carry out its function, the tongue is assisted by a number of muscles and nerves that are directly connected to the brain. The presence of these muscles makes the tongue move freely in all directions in the oral cavity. To better recognize the tongue and its function in more detail, see the explanation below, yes!

Tongue Section

The tongue consists of a set of muscles and has no bones at all. The only bone that is directly related to the tongue is the hyoid bone. This bone is located between the neck and inner chin. The tongue also has another part called the frenulum. This section connects the tongue to the oral cavity while also functioning as a buffer of the tongue. Broadly speaking, the surface of the tongue can be divided into three parts, namely:

• The tip and edge of the tongue. As the name implies, this part includes the front tongue (tip) and right and left (edge). The tip and edge of the tongue can move freely forwards, backwards, right or left.
• Tongue base. This section is located on the back side of the tongue close to the throat. At the base of the tongue there are many cells that support the function of the tongue in feeling and touching something that enters the mouth.
• Basic tongue. This part is located on the lower side of the tongue. The base or root of the tongue can move, but its movement cannot be as free as the edges and edges of the tongue. Because it is located below, the base of the tongue cannot be seen from outside the mouth.

The entire tongue is covered in pink tissue called the mucosa. Then, above the mucosa are papillae, a kind of small spots that make the surface of the tongue feel rough. The surface of the papillae consists of thousands of taste buds, which are nerve cells connected to nerves that enter the brain. Sometimes the tongue can appear to have crust, this condition is normal and is more common in older people. The parts of the tongue mentioned above have a very important role in helping the tongue to carry out its functions. If there is a problem in one of these parts, the tongue can not function properly.

Tongue Function

As mentioned above, the tongue has the main function as a sense of taste, aids to communicate, chew, and swallow food. To find out more about the functions of the tongue, see the explanation below.

• Taster tool. The tongue has taste receptors for tasting food, drink, or anything that enters the mouth. That way, you can distinguish sweet, salty, bitter, delicious, or unpleasant taste.
• Helps communicate. The tongue works closely with the lips and teeth to make the sound coming out of the throat clear and understood by the other person. Without the tongue, a person's words will be difficult to understand.
• Help chew. Because it can move freely in the mouth, the tongue functions to help process food and drinks from solid to soft, making it easy to swallow.
• Helps swallow. After food is chewed and destroyed, the tongue will push the food down the throat, then enter the stomach and be processed by digestive devices.
• Help suck. The function of the tongue as a tool to suck the fluid that enters the mouth is most clearly seen in infants. Babies use their tongue when sucking breast milk.
• Helps touch. The tip of the tongue is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. The tip of the tongue functions to feel or recognize food that comes in and clean the remaining food in the mouth.
• Protect the mouth from germs. At the base of the tongue, there is a collection of protective cells called lingual tonsils. These cells are located behind the oral cavity and together with tonsils, in charge of protecting the body from disruption of germs that can enter through the mouth.

After recognizing the tongue and its function, it helps you always maintain the cleanliness of the tongue in order to maintain oral health, because a toothbrush is not enough. The cleanliness and health of the tongue will help you avoid the threat of various diseases.