INTERESTING FACTS..

about the tongue

The tongue has on average 3,000 to 10,000 taste buds.

The bumps we can see on the tongue are called papillae. Taste buds sit on top of these papillae but are not visible to the human eye.

There are five elements of taste perception: salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami (or savoury).

It’s a myth that different tastes come from different areas of the tongue. They can all be detected anywhere on it.

The tongue also works as a natural toothbrush, cleaning your teeth after eating.

The average length of the human tongue from the back to the tip is 10cm (4in).

Taste receptors cannot actually taste food until saliva has moistened it. For example we usually taste salty things first because salt dissolves quickly in moisture.