Tongue
The tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. It is attached to the lower jaw. Its functions include taste, mixing food with saliva, and facilitating swallowing. It is covered by a mucous membrane which serves an absorptive and protective function. The papillae on the tongue create an abrasive surface to break up foods.
Among the papillae are taste buds. The taste buds are divided into groups according to the type of flavor they are most sensitive to: bitter, salty, sweet or sour. These groups are located on different portions of the tongue. For instance, sweet receptors are located at the tip of the tongue, while the bitter receptors are located close to the base of the tongue.
References
Crafts, R.C. 1985. A Textbook of Human Anatomy. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York. 906 pp.
Gray, H. 1977. Gray's Anatomy. Crown Publishers, Inc. New York. 1257 pp.
Lockhart, R.D., G.F. Hamilton, et.al. 1974. Anatomy of The Human Body. Faber and Faber Limited. London. 697 pp.
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