TONGUE

TONGUE TWISTER

• The tongue is made of many groups of muscles.
• The front part works with the teeth to create different words.
• It helps you eat by moving food around your mouth while you chew.
• The back of your tongue help you make sounds, like "k" and hard "g".
• The back of the tongue pushes food down your throat.

TONGUE HELD DOWN TIGHT

• The frenulum connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.
• You can never swallow your tongue, even if you try.
• The whole base of your tongue is anchored to the bottom of your mouth.

TASTY TIDBITS

• The top of your tongue is covered with a layer of bumps called papillae.
• Papillae help grip food and move it while you chew.
• The papillae contain your taste buds.
• People are born with about 10,000 taste buds.
• As you age your taste buds die.

TRAVELING TASTES

• Taste buds are made of taste cells with microscopic hairs called microvilli.
• Identifying tastes is your brain's way of telling you about what's going into your mouth.
• It keeps you safe when things don't taste write.
• Cold foods and drinks make your taste bud receptors less sensitive.
• If you suck on an ice cube before you eat a food you don't like, it won't taste as bad.

FRIEND OF THE TONGUE

• Your nose helps you taste foods by smelling them before you eat it.
• Strong smells can even confuse your taste buds.
• Your tongue also gets help from your teeth, lips, and mouth.
• Saliva also helps by keeping your tongue wet and breaking down food.

FIGHTING GERMS

• The back section of your tongue contains something called the lingual tonsil.
• They are small masses of tissue that contain cells that filter out harmful germs.
• When you have tonsillitis, it's not your lingual tonsil that's infected.
• Tonsillitis affects the palatine tonsils, which are two balls of tissue on either side of the tongue.

THE TONGUE IS ONE TOUGH WORKER

• When you are sleeping, your tongue is busy pushing saliva into the throat.
• Keep your tongue in good shape by brushing it along with your teeth.
• Avoid really hot food.