There are about 9,000 taste buds on the average adult tongue. These help to distinguish basic food flavours including bitter, salty, sweet and sour. At the back, sides and tip of the tongue are the taste buds. These papillae are responsible for the tongue’s textured surface. The tongue is wrapped in the lingual membrane, which is studded with tiny projections called papillae. The base of the tongue is located in the throat just above the larynx (voice box) and extends to the hyoid bone. Some of the disorders that affect the tongue include sore tongue, black hairy tongue and tongue-tie. The dense network of nerves and muscle fibres in the tongue means that we can chew food without (usually) chewing on our tongue as well. The taste buds located on the tongue membrane contribute to the experience of food flavour. The movement of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, teeth and lips helps us to shape vocal sounds into words, as well as to eat and drink effectively. It can be divided into an oral portion (tip, blade, front, centre and back) and a pharyngeal (throat) portion. The tongue is made up almost entirely of muscle fibres.
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