Question

Stand in front of a mirror and look closely at your tongue. How does the surface look? Can you see tiny bumps on the surface? Explain.

Answer 1

Hint: These bump- like structures increase the surface area of the tongue, increasing the area of contact with the tongue and food. It also aids in increasing the friction of the tongue and helps in recognizing taste.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
- The tiny bumps on the surface of the tongue are papillae. The four major types of papillae are fungiform papillae (mushroom-like), filiform papillae (filum - thread- like), foliate papillae, and circumvallate papillae.
- Except filiform papillae, all the other papillae contain taste buds.
Fungiform papillae: Fungiform papillae are wide flat structures that contain taste buds and sensory cells in the middle portion of the dorsum of the tongue.
- These papillae have a similar shape to mushrooms due to which they are called the fungiform (fungus – mushroom) papillae.

Filiform papillae: Filiform papillae form a rough, prickly texture that helps in chewing and speaking. These tiny bumps on the tongue surface provide grips and ripples.
- These conical- shaped papillae (resembles thread) are the most common papillae and aids in cleaning the mouth surface.
Foliate papillae: These leaf- shaped papillae are present at the posterolateral margins of the tongue surface and contain taste buds.
Circumvallate papillae: These papillae are unique due to its structure, location, and properties.
- These papillae are in V-shape, located at the back of the tongue and only 7 to 12 of these papillae will be present in an adult’s mouth.
- An average adult has 2,000 to 4,000 taste buds and these taste buds are not visible to naked eyes.

Note:
- There is a common misconception that different parts of the tongue are sensitive to different tastes such as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. All these tastes are sensitive to all parts of the tongue and do not depend on any particular region of the tongue.
- The average length of a man’s tongues is 8.5 cm and the average length of a woman’s tongue is 7.9cm.
- Tongue is made up of 8 different muscles which provide flexibility and strength to the tongue.