How does your tongue work?
Have you ever wondered how your tongue helps you taste your favourite foods, talk, or even help you swallow? Your tongue is a pretty amazing part of your body that does a lot of important jobs. Let’s dive into how it works.
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How the tongue helps you taste
One of the most fun jobs your tongue does is helping you taste food. Your tongue has tiny bumps on it called taste buds. These taste buds are like little helpers that can feel the different flavours in the food you eat. There are five main tastes:
- Sweet – Like candy and fruits!
- Sour – Like lemons or sour candy.
- Salty – Like chips or popcorn.
- Bitter – Like coffee or dark chocolate.
- Umami – A savoury taste found in
things like cheese or soy sauce.
When you eat something, the taste buds send signals to your brain, telling you what flavour it is. How amazing is that?
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The tongue: more than just tasting
Your tongue is a soft, squishy muscle inside your mouth that moves in many different ways. It’s made up of tiny muscles that let it wiggle, stretch, and even curl. It’s strong enough to help you chew, talk, and swallow, and it also helps keep your mouth clean.
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How your tongue helps you talk
Your tongue also helps you speak. When you say words, your tongue moves around in your mouth to create sounds. It helps you say “t,” “d,” “l,” and many other sounds. You can imagine how difficult it would be to talk without your tongue.
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The tongue helps you swallow too
When you eat or drink, your tongue pushes food to the back of your mouth so you can swallow it. It makes sure the food goes down the right way, into your stomach. Without your tongue, swallowing would be tricky.
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Taking care of your tongue
Just like you take care of your teeth, it’s important to take care of your tongue too! You can keep it clean by brushing it gently when you brush your teeth. This helps get rid of germs and keeps your mouth feeling fresh and your tongue nice and pink.
Fun Fact
Did you know your tongue is the strongest muscle in your body when you compare its size to how much it works? It can do so many things, from tasting to allowing you speak to helping you swallow your favourite food.
So, the next time you eat something tasty, talk to a friend, or gulp down some water, remember how important your tongue is in helping you do all these things. It’s a little muscle with a big job to do!
