Question

The upper surface of the tongue is called?
A.Papillae
B.Lingual septum
C.Dorsum
D.None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Tongue is referred to as "Glossa" in Greek and lingua in Latin. The tongue is a muscular organ present in the oral cavity and it comprises skeletal muscles, lymphoid tissue, Mixed glands, fibrous septum in the center and some amount of fat is also present within the tongue. The tongue consists of a root, a tip, and a central body to its structure.

Complete answer:
Types of papillae (papillae are small rough elevations on the upper surface of the tongue): four types of papillae are present: Fungiform, circumvallate, filiform, foliate papillae.
Fungiform papillae are mushroom-shaped and contain only a few taste buds, Circumvallate papillae are large and dome-shaped and are least in number usually between 10-12 on the tongue, and form a v- shape. Circumvallate papillae contain thousands of taste buds. Foliate papillae have a leaf-like shape and contain a hundred or so taste buds. Filiform papillae are short and spiked and are scattered among the fungiform papillae. These papillae do not have any taste buds as they detect food texture. Taste buds are located in walls and grooves of papillae.
Option -A- Papillae: The small rough elevations present on the upper surface of the tongue are called papillae. There are four types of papillae. These are fungiform, circumvallate, foliate, and filiform. There are several taste receptors on the papillae. These taste receptors help in the detection of taste.
Option -B- lingual septum: The lingual septum consists of fibrous tissue and runs through the median of the tongue. It (lingual septum) separates the halves of the tongue, it extends in the median plane from the apex to the root and is attached below to the hyoid bone.
Option -C-Dorsum: The upper surface of the tongue is called the Dorsum. Several papillae in which house taste buds are present on the dorsum.
So, the correct answer is option C" Dorsum"

Note: The bottom or under the surface of the tongue is called the lingual frenulum which helps anchor the tongue to the floor of the mouth. The tongue allows us to sense the taste and texture of food. The tongue also helps in crushing food against the roof of the mouth and softening and manipulating the food before swallowing.