Exploring Tongue Health: Common Conditions Explained

Introduction

The tongue is a highly vascular voluntary organ present in the mouth. The tongue is a voluntary structure composed of voluntary skeletal muscle.

1. Structure of the Tongue
2. Muscles of the Tongue
   1. Extrinsic muscles
   2. Intrinsic muscles
3. Nerve Supply
4. Blood supply:
   1. Arterial blood supply
   2. Venous Drainage
5. Lymphatics
6. Functions:
7. Applied

Structure of the Tongue

The root of the tongue is present in the posterior part of the oral cavity and consists of one-third of the tongue.

The body forms about the anterior two-thirds of the tongue

The tip is the most anterior part of the tongue, pointing towards the opening of the oral cavity.

The dorsum of the tongue is convex and divided into two parts

The oral part forms two-thirds of the dorsum, and the rest is the pharyngeal part, which is separated by a ‘V’-shaped groove known as the Sulcus terminalis seperates.

The tip of the v points posteriorly. There is a median pit known as the Foramen caecum at the tip of the v.

Ventral surface of the tongue

The inferior surface of the tongue is attached to the floor of the mouth by a thin submucous fold known as the Frenulum.

A deep lingual vein is present laterally to the Frenulum, under the mucosa.

Plica fimbriata: Just lateral to the deep lingual vein, a fold of mucosa is present called plica fimbriata.

At the junction of the posterior one-third and the anterior two-thirds on the inferior surface of the tongue, a V-shaped sublingual fold is present, with the tip pointing posteriorly. This is known as the sublingual papilla. The opening of the sublingual duct is present on the lateral end of the sublingual fold.

Papillae are small structures on he dorsal surface of the tongue. Latin lingua means tongue and papilla, nipple, teat.’

Four types of papillae with different structures are present on the tongue. Lingual papillae are readily visible in the dry tongue.

Papillae present on the tongue are of four types:

1. Filiform papillae are the most abundant papillae.
2. Fungiform
3. Circumvallate
4. Foliate

Filiform papillae are abundant and the smallest papillae. They are conical in shape and do not contain taste buds.

Fungiform papillae are small, pink, mushroom-shaped papillae with taste buds.

Circumvalate papillae are dome-shaped papillae located anterior to the Sulcus terminalis and are eight to 12 in number. They contain taste buds.

Foliate papillae are rudimentary papillae with no taste buds.

We notice that taste buds are present only on the fungiform and circumvallate papillae.

Muscles of the Tongue

Extrinsic muscles

Extrinsic muscles connect the tongue with bones, for example, the styloid process, the palate, the mandible, and the hyoid bones.

They are responsible for tongue movements and changes in the shape of the tongue.

1. Genioglossus
2. Hypogossus
3. Styloglossus
4. palatogolossus

Intrinsic muscles

They are present in the tongue and change the shape of the tongue

1. Superior longitudinal
2. Inferior longitudinal
3. Transverses and
4. Vertical

Nerve Supply

Motor by the hypoglossal nerve

Sensory by the General sensation by the lingual nerve, and taste sensation by the chorda tympani. Both are branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Blood supply:

Arterial blood supply

Lingual and ascending pharyngeal artery -branches of the external carotid artery, and from the facial artery through the tonsillar artery.

Venous Drainage

The following veins drain the tongue;

1. Deep lingual vein and
2. Venae comitantes

Lymphatics

1. Marginal
2. Central
3. Deep vessels.

Functions:

1. Taste
2. Speech
3. Chewing
4. Deglutition
5. Cleaning of the mouth

Applied

1. Glossitis: Acute glossitis is an acute inflammation of the tongue. The tongue becomes red and painful due to various causes, such as vitamin B12 deficiency.
2. Carcinoma of the tongue
3. Examination of the tongue is an essential part of the general physical examination.

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