Liz is a medical writer and illustrator with an MSc in Medical Art and a BA in Medical Illustration focusing on pre-medical sciences. She has worked with healthcare professionals and educators globally creating anatomically accurate learning materials.
The Tongue
The human tongue is the muscular organ in your mouth that plays a major role in everyday life. It enables you to chew, taste, and swallow your food and express yourself through speech.
Anatomy Charts to Support Learning
For a deeper understanding of the function and structure of the tongue, our anatomical charts and posters provide clear, detailed illustrations. These educational resources make learning more engaging and visually stimulating, whether you're a student, lecturer, or health professional.
Anatomy of the Tongue
The tongue is an organ made up of muscles which are interwoven, striped muscles and glands, interspersed with fat.
It is covered by a mucous membrane and attached to a number of bones, including the hyoid bone at the back of the throat, the epiglottis by three folds of mucous membrane, and the pharynx by extrinsic muscles and the soft palate. The tongue is attached by the frenulum at the midline to the bottom of the mouth. The sublingual caruncles are small prominences that drain away saliva from the major salivary submandibular glands.
The posterior pharyngeal part of the tongue is around one third of the full length of the organ and is closest to the throat. The anterior oral part of the organ is the visible part of the tongue. The terminal sulcus is a v-shaped groove which divides the anterior and posterior parts. The left and right sides of the organ are divided by the lingual septum, vertical fibrous tissue along the length of the tongue apart from the very back of the throat.
The rough texture of the tongue comes from several small bumps called the papillae which are covered by thousands of taste buds.
Muscles of the Tongue
The tongue consists of groups of extrinsic and intrinsic muscles.
The extrinsic muscles connect from the bone to the tongue and allow for side-to-side movement and bring the tongue in and out. The genioglossus muscle protrudes and depresses the tongue. The hyoglossus muscle depresses and retracts the tongue. The styloglossus muscle retracts and elevates the tongue and the palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior part of the tongue and draws the soft palate downwards.
Unlike the extrinsic muscles, the intrinsic muscles have no external attachments and exist only within the tongue. These muscles are responsible for affecting the shape and size of our tongue and help with eating and speech. These muscles include the superior longitudinal muscle, inferior longitudinal muscle, transverse muscle and vertical muscle; each named after the direction by which they move.
All of the muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus muscle are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). The palatoglossus muscle is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X).
Explore Anatomical Models
Our highly detailed anatomical tongue models provide a clear visual representation of the muscles, structures, and tissues that make up the tongue. These models are an ideal tool for students, educators, and healthcare professionals to explore the intricate anatomy of structure in 3D. They are perfect for studying the various muscle groups, blood supply, and the essential functions of the tongue.
Blood Supply of the Tongue
The bulk of the tongue’s blood supply comes from the lingual artery, which branches off from the external carotid artery. This artery provides oxygenated blood to the tongue, ensuring its muscles and tissues function properly. Additionally, the tongue is also supplied by the tonsillar artery, which helps nourish the posterior parts of the organ, particularly those near the pharynx. The venous drainage of the tongue is through the lingual vein, which carries deoxygenated blood away from the tongue and back towards the heart. This intricate vascular system ensures that the tongue receives both the nutrients and the waste removal it needs to support its complex roles in taste, speech, and swallowing.
Sense of Taste
Tongues have on average between 2,000 to 10,000 taste buds, which are replaced every two weeks (although some taste cells don't get replaced in older adults). Most of the taste buds are on the tongue, but some are also found in the back of the throat, epiglottis, upper part of the oesophagus, and the nasal cavity. There are four basic taste categories: sweet, sour, bitter, salty. Umami is often described separately from the other basic taste categories, and has been described to sense brothy, meaty tastes. Taste buds are made up of receptor cells that are stimulated by food molecules, which send messages to the brain to determine the taste.
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Visual Aids to better Understand the Tongue
Understanding anatomy can be far more effective with high quality visual tools. Our range of anatomical models, posters and revision guides allow students and professionals to deepen their understanding through visual and tactile learning. Whether you're preparing for an exam, teaching a class, or working in a clinical setting, our resources provide a practical and engaging way to study human anatomy.
