Tasty Tongue Tidbits – Taste Buds

How many muscles make up your tongue?

Looks like one big muscle, but it is actually made up of 8 muscles. There are four to help it change shape and four to move it around. These are all grouped together by a mucous membrane.

How many taste buds are found on your tongue?

There are 5,00 to 10,000 on your tongue. The bumps on your tongue are not taste buds, they are called papillae. Papillae contain taste buds. Taste buds are also located on the inside of your cheeks, the back of your throat and elsewhere in your mouth.

What is the life expectancy of a taste bud?

Taste buds replace themselves every 2 weeks.

Does your sense of taste change with age?

Yes, our sense of taste gets weaker. As we age, some of our taste buds stop replacing themselves. Older adults have only about 5,00o functioning taste buds which is half the number kids have.

What is a taste your tongue cannot detect?

Science has names five official tastes; sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory. Spicy isn’t a taste, it’s a pain signal. You may think food tastes spicy, but it’s how the nerves in your tongue tell your brain there’s pain and heat in your mouth.

Are taste buds grouped in different zones for different flavors?

The sides of your tongue are more sensitive to flavor than the middle, but every part of your tongue can taste all five flavors equally.

Which of the following is not actually a tongue condition? Hairy tongue, broken tongue or scrotal tongue.

The answer is broken tongue. Hairy tongue is a harmless buildup of keratin, the stuff hair is made of, on the top of your tongue. You usually get it if you don’t clean your mouth well, if you drink excessive amounts of tea and coffee, and from certain medications. A scrotal or “fissured” tongue looks wrinkly from the deep grooves found on the top of the tongue.

Is there a name for people with a heightened sense of taste?

These people are called supertasters. They are extra sensitive to flavors such as bitter and sweet. They tend to have more taste buds on the front of their tongue than most people. This condition is more common in women than in men.

Is the ability to roll your tongue passed down from your parents?

For years scientists used tongue rolling as an example of simple genetics. However, a 1952 study using identical twins showed there is no gene for tongue rolling. Genes can play some role in your level of tongue gymnastics, but practice also helps perfect these skills.

Can you swallow your tongue?

Thankfully it’s impossible to swallow your tongue. The base of your tongue is anchored to the floor of your mouth by a sturdy membrane. Thus it is swallow-proof. No danger during a seizure.

Finally, some good advice; we have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.