Table of contents:
- Some facts about the tongue
- 1. The average length of the tongue is 8.5 cm
- 2. The average adult has 2000-4000 taste buds
- 3. The tongue is not the strongest muscle
- 4. Healthy or not your body can be seen from the tongue
- 5. The tongue does not have a special area of taste
On a daily basis, the body part called the tongue has an important role which is useful in helping the body to eat, swallow, and speak. In fact, no matter what food you try to swallow, it won't get into your throat without the help of your tongue. So what are the facts about the tongue that must be known? Let's look at the explanation below.
Some facts about the tongue
1. The average length of the tongue is 8.5 cm
For those of you who like to measure the length of the tongue, did you know that the tongue is measured from the fold of cartilage (epiglottis) on the inner tip of the tongue? Yes, it is from the larynx to the tip of the tongue that the length of the tongue is measured.
The average tongue length of an adult male is 3.3 inches (8.5 cm), and the average length of the tongue of an adult woman is 3.1 inches (7.9 cm). According to the Guinness World of Records, a person in America named Nick Stoeberl has the longest tongue with a size of 3.97 inches or about 10.1 cm and he became the human with the longest tongue today.
2. The average adult has 2000-4000 taste buds
Why are there so many small rashes on the surface of the tongue? In fact, these nodules are called taste buds with a total number of up to 2000 to 4000 on each tongue. In the taste buds there are sensory cells that function to taste common tastes such as sour, sweet, spicy, salty to bitter.
A study revealed the number of nodules on the tongue reached 10 thousand. In biological terms, those who have nodules of more than 10 thousand pieces are called "supertasters" or those who have a super sense of taste. Meanwhile, those whose tasting nodules were less than 10,000 were called "non-tasters". The age of the taste buds usually only lasts 14 days and the body will immediately replace them with new ones.
3. The tongue is not the strongest muscle
The tongue is an organ that is almost entirely a muscle. Therefore, the tongue is very flexible, so it can help you eat, talk, and breathe. The tongue muscles also never get tired. But, that doesn't mean that the tongue is the strongest muscle a human has. In fact, the strongest muscle in the human body still wins by the heart.
4. Healthy or not your body can be seen from the tongue
A healthy tongue has a bright pink or pink color. Therefore, changes in the color and texture of your tongue can be a determinant of health. A dark red tongue, usually associated with swelling and can be a sign that you have sore throat. Meanwhile, a white color on the tongue indicates a high fever or a yeast infection. In addition, a tongue that feels smooth and pale is a sign that you are deficient in essential minerals and vitamin B12.
5. The tongue does not have a special area of taste
So far you must have believed and believed that the tongue has a different place or area to taste sour, salty, pedanous and sweet. In fact, the tongue only acts to stimulate the brain as a determinant of taste. All the flavors of the food you swallow, evenly spread over the taste buds. So, the brain is actually sorting out the taste and telling the tongue about the taste you feel.
