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  2. Oral mucosa - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_mucosa

    The mouth is the only place in the body which provides the sensation of taste. Due to these unique physiological features, the oral mucosa must fulfil a number of distinct functions. Protection - One of the main functions of the oral mucosa is to physically protect the underlying tissues from the mechanical forces, microbes and toxins in the ...

  3. Tongue - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue

    The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste buds housed in numerous lingual papillae. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva and is richly supplied ...

  4. Gums - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gums

    The gums are part of the soft tissue lining of the mouth. They surround the teeth and provide a seal around them. Unlike the soft tissue linings of the lips and cheeks, most of the gums are tightly bound to the underlying bone which helps resist the friction of food passing over them. Thus when healthy, it presents an effective barrier to the ...

  5. Human mouth - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_mouth

    Human mouth. In human anatomy, the mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and produces saliva. [2] The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth. In addition to its primary role as the beginning of the digestive system, the mouth also plays a significant role in communication.

  6. Taste bud - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taste_bud

    Taste bud. Taste buds are clusters of taste receptor cells, which are also known as gustatory cells. [ 1 ] The taste receptors are located around the small structures known as papillae found on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus, the cheek, and epiglottis. These structures are involved in detecting the five elements ...

  7. Mouth - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouth

    The mouth is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or cavum oris in Latin), [2] is also the first part of the alimentary canal, which leads to the pharynx and the gullet. In tetrapod vertebrates, the mouth is bounded on the outside by ...

  8. Lingual papillae - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingual_papillae

    Lingual papillae, particularly filiform papillae, are thought to increase the surface area of the tongue and to increase the area of contact and friction between the tongue and food. [2] This may increase the tongue's ability to manipulate a bolus of food, and also to position food between the teeth during mastication (chewing) and swallowing.

  9. Insect mouthparts - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_mouthparts

    The trophi, or mouthparts of a locust, a typical chewing insect: 1 Labrum. 2 Mandibles; 3 Maxillae. 4 Labium. 5 Hypopharynx. Examples of chewing insects include dragonflies, grasshoppers and beetles. Some insects do not have chewing mouthparts as adults but chew solid food in their larval phase.