tongue

The regions of the tongue that detect different categories of taste.

In tetrapod vertebrates, a muscular organ usually attached to the floor of the mouth. It has a thick root attached to a U-shaped bone (hyoid), and is covered with a mucous membrane containing nerves and taste buds. It is the main organ of taste. The tongue directs food to the teeth and into the throat for chewing and swallowing. In humans, it is crucial for speech; in other animals, for lapping up water and for grooming, among other functions. In some animals, such as frogs, it can be flipped forwards to catch insects; in others, such as anteaters, it serves to reach for food found in deep holes.

The hyoid apparatus, to which the tongue is attached, is formed from what were gill supports in fishes.

Tongue

Coastal village in the north of Highland unitary authority, Scotland, on the east shore of the Kyle of Tongue, 113 km/71 mi north of Inverness. The cliffs of An Ceann Geal or Whiten Head are located 13 km/8 mi to the west.