The tongue is a gateway to the human being, in and out. This organ is remarkably versatile and useful in a many settings.
Taste Buds Link to the Brain
Upon the tongue's surface reside a multitude of taste buds, providing a person with vital clues on the nature of his food. Is it poisonous? Is it rotten? Will this kill or delight?
Robert Krulwich, on NPR's Morning Edition of November, 2007, lists five taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (salts in processed cheeses and meats). The front of the tongue is responsible for sweet tastes, while the rear is responsible for saltier tastes.
As described by Scott Herness of the Ohio State University ("Bitter or Sweet? The Same Taste Bud Can Tell the Difference", Research News, online, July 18, 2005), each "bud" is a group of 50 to 100 cells which connects to the brain. Only a few cells connect to transmit this signal, however. Herness has demonstrated that, when the brain tastes "bitter", that sensation involves an interchange of peptides neuropeptide Y and cholecystokinin (CCK).
Movement of the Tongue
The organ itself is quick and agile, responding to direction quickly. It can count the teeth, touch the nose; as Dr. Kristin Woodward, interviewed in Glamour Magazine's blog, describes, approximately 60 percent of the population can roll their tongue.
Injuries to the Tongue
The tongue can heal when severed and reattach, and even regenerate in certain circumstances. Drs. George Gould and Walter Pyle, writing in Anomolies and Curiosities of Medicine, describe several cases in the medical literature of this plastic ability of the organ.
Disorders of the Tongue
The "Tongue Disorders" section of Merck's online reference lists possible disorders of the tongue, such as "hairiness", due to an overproduction of projections at the top of the tongue, which can be caused by fever or antibiotic treatment. A common disorder is discoloration, which can occur due to tobacco use or bacterial growth. Vitamin deficiencies may cause the tongue to become pale or bright red.
To Fork the Tongue?
Recently, there has been a fad of tongue splitting, having the tongues split so that the halves can move independently. Shannon Larrett, writing for BMEzine.com, estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people in the West had undergone the procedure in 2003. He describes his own tongue splitting, via argon laser by a doctor in New York, as an experience without complications, and strongly warns interested parties to have the procedure completed by a licensed physician.
Larrett classifies tongue splitting is a form of heavy bodily modification, or "bod mod", which is an extreme expression of body piercing.
Tongue as Creator of Language
The Latin word for tongue is lingua, also the root for the English word language, an appropriate comparison. To be bilingual is literally to have two tongues. To the ancient mind, it would seem the seat of language would be the tongue. It responds at the speed of thought, taking the raw data from the vocal chords and shaping it into meaningful and recognizable information.
Placement of the Tongue in Music
The tongue is a key component in the human instrument. The singers’ tone begins in the gut, travels upward to the mouth and sinuses, as the placement of the tongue, throat, and gullet determine in which octave and at what tone the sound will occur. Without the tongue, the singer could not articulate the sounds beyond a basic pitches, making most singing limited.
So, in a sense, the tongue not only ensures survival for the human (through using taste to determine whether a food is poisoned), but also facilitates communication, and creates music.
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