What is the tongue? Explain its parts.

The tongue is the muscular organ in the mouth, essential for chewing, swallowing, and tasting food. It is also an important organ to producing speech.

The tongue can be divided into three parts: 

(i) Tip or apex (oral part): It is the moving part of the tongue.

(ii) Body: It is the middle part of the tongue. It has a rough dorsal surface, containing taste buds and a smooth ventral surface that is attached to the floor of the oral cavity.

(iii) Base or Pharyngeal part: The base of the tongue is the posterior part of the tongue.

The left and right sides of the tongue are parted along its length through a vertical section of fibrous tissue (lingual septum), resulting in a groove or median sulcus on the surface of the tongue.