Catarrh Got Your Tongue Trivia Quiz

Answer: Apex

The apex is the tip of the tongue while the blade is the part behind the tip. The tip plays an important role in speaking and pronunciation. The tongue is thinner at the tip than it is elsewhere.

The word apex typically refers to the peak or point of an object.

Answer: Eight

There are eight muscles in the human tongue: four are attached to a bone and four are not. The four attached to a bone, also known as extrinsic muscles, help move the tongue. The four intrinsic muscles, or those not attached to a bone, shape the tongue. It is those four muscles you use when you roll or fold your tongue.

Answer: False

Catarrh is actually a pus-filled inflammation of the mucus membranes. Typically, catarrh affects the throat or sinuses of the human body. Catarrh does not affect the tongue directly but can cause problems with swallowing and tasting, both functions the tongue plays a large part in.

Answer: A taste receptor

The word gustatory refers to the sense of taste. Gustatory cells are taste receptors that can be found on each taste bud. When food (or any substance) passes over the tongue and mixes with saliva, the taste receptors activate. A taste bud is just the structure that contains the gustatory cells.

Answer: Smoking

Black hairy tongue is a condition in which the tongue becomes discolored and looks black or brownish. It is caused when the filiform papillae become enlarged. The filiform papillae are structures that give the tongue the ability to feel sensations.

It is called black hairy tongue because the filiform papillar look like little hairs. The condition is not serious and can be treated with better oral hygiene. In addition to smoking, it can be caused by certain medications and radiotherapy.

Answer: True

It is a common myth that each part of the tongue is responsible for one of the five different tastes. This is not true and each of the five taste sensations can be tasted anywhere on the tongue. The five basic tastes are bitter, sour, sweet, salty and umami (a savory, beefy flavor). Each taste corresponds to its own receptor (which can be found on any part of the tongue).

The reason we taste more than just five flavors is because the different receptors react together causing taste combinations.

Answer: Median sulcus

The median sulcus typically does not run the full length of the tongue. It separates the tongue vertically into two halves. Other bodily organs also have a median sulcus that performs the same function. These organs include the medulla oblongata of the brain and the spinal cord.

Answer: Sticking the tongue out of the mouth

The genioglossus allows you to stick your tongue out. It is sometimes called the safety muscle because sticking your tongue out expands your airways. A common cause of sleep apnea is contraction of the genioglossus. If the genioglossus contracts enough, it will obstruct your airway.

Answer: Your tongue can get wrinkles like your skin does as you age

Just like your skin and other parts of your body, your tongue may wrinkle with age. There are no adverse health problems caused by the wrinkles but one should always be diligent when brushing the wrinkles because bacteria may grow in the folds. There are other cause besides aging of tongue wrinkles. Generally speaking, poor oral hygiene and some medications can cause your tongue to wrinkle or even crack.

Answer: Your taste buds have receded

Sometimes, taste buds shrink in size which makes your tongue look like it has small holes in it. The holes are nicknamed valleys because they look like depressions in a landscape. Hills and valleys are not painful or serious and often go away on their own. This condition is also sometimes called geographic tongue because of the terms used to describe it.