How Your Tongue Works

Kids Health presents How the Body Works with Chloe and the Nurb. I just finished a book feeling. What are you reading, Nurb? I'm learning to be a sales nerb. Can I try out my brand new sales technique on you? I don't know. I'm a pretty tough customer. Perfect. A nerb loves to rise to a challenge. Whatcha selling? I'm not sure, but it's right on the tip of my... Tongue? The tongue! But I already have a tongue. Before you decide, let me tell you all the wonderful things you get with your shiny new tongue! This amazing tongue can be used to talk, eat, and taste! First, let's talk about talking, since we're doing it already. The front of the tongue is very flexible and is used to create many of the sounds we call talking. Just try to say this or that without it. Go ahead. I dare ya. Wow, that is hard to say. And the back of the tongue helps with other sounds, like K and G. How would we sing without this wondrous muscle in our mouth? Terribly. But with it... The tongue can also help us eat! It moves food around your mouth while you chew, pushing it to your back teeth so they can grind it up. It's like a marvelous spit-covered food-moving machine! While the teeth grind up the food, it gets mixed with saliva. Which we also call spit. The spit and food mixture then get pushed by your tongue to the back of your throat, where it travels down your esophagus or food pipe to your stomach. Eating would be awfully hard without saliva. And flavorless, since a dry tongue can't taste a thing. Thank you, spit. Tasting is the best. But I'm still not sold. Well, we've only just gotten started with all the exciting tasting features your new tongue has! The surface of your tongue feels rough, because it's covered with a layer of small bumps called papillae. Papillae! The papillae contain your taste buds. And those help us taste everything from apples to zucchini. And everything in between. The average person has 10,000 taste buds. These amazing little bumps can detect sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavors. Now you're just making me hungry. And you should be! Your brand new tongue can detect all four of these fabulous tastes at once! Now hold on, Nurb. I've heard there's a fifth kind of flavor the tongue can taste. It's called umami. My mommy? Not quite. Though she does have excellent taste. Umami is the Japanese word for yummy. And that's how it tastes. Think of parmesan cheese, ketchup, sauces made with soy sauce. Yummy! Now you're selling me! This powerful organ can detect five separate tastes. And if you order right now, we'll throw in a free nose! Without the nose's incredible smelling power, well, you can't really taste very much. Is that why when my nose is stuffy, I can't taste very well? Bingo! Taste and smell are very closely connected. Wow. I am fully impressed by all the things the tongue can do. The best part is the tongue never rests. That's right, folks. These tongues don't just work all day. They go all night. No, battery's necessary. So what do you say, Chloe? Will you buy a new tongue? It's a real bargain! So you're telling me this one tongue can be used to talk, eat, and taste? That's what I'm telling you, Chloe! You sold me. I'll take one. The tongue! It's got flavor! Limit one tongue per customer. Tongues are not intended for tasting dirt, licking frozen poles, or sticking out at brother or sister.