July 18th - Stick Out Your Tongue Day!

Stick Out Your Tongue Day is not a widely known holiday, but it should be celebrated!  Your tongue is a marvelous organ responsible for so many jobs.  Think about how much you use your tongue.  Eating an ice-cream cone, singing your favorite song, chewing, and swallowing are make possible thanks to your tongue.  And don’t forget talking and tasting!  Why not get to know your tongue today, then stick it out on July 18th to celebrate?

Is Your Tongue a Muscle?

You may have heard your tongue is a muscle. This is only partly accurate.  Your tongue is made of several groups of muscles.  The muscles in the front are flexible and are responsible for moving food around while you eat, pushing it to the back of your mouth so your teeth can grind it.  The front muscles of the tongue also help form words.

The back muscles of the tongue are responsible for making sounds like the “k” sound or the hard “g” sound (like in the word girl).  Try saying kangaroo slowly.  Do you notice the back of your tongue working?  The back of your tongue also works in digestion, pushing chewed up food and saliva back and into your esophagus.

Tantalizing Taste-buds

The top of your tongue is rough and bumpy, unlike the underside which is smooth. These bumps are called papillae.  Papillae help grip food and move it around your mouth, and they also contain your taste-buds.  People are born with about 10,000 taste-buds, but as you age, your taste-buds die.  An elderly person may only have 5,000 taste-buds. Consequently, many foods will taste stronger to children than they do to adults. Taste-buds detect sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.

One Hard Worker

With talking, swallowing, chewing, and tasting, does your tongue ever get a rest?  The answer is no.  Even in your sleep your tongue is pushing saliva back into your throat to be swallowed.  Though from time to time we’ve all been know to drool!  Keep your tongue in top shape by brushing it when you brush your teeth and be careful not to eat food that is too hot - no one likes a burned tongue.  Most importantly, remember to stick your tongue out on July 18th!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2671855702/

July 17th, 2009 by Aspen Streetman | Posted in Uncategorized | (0)