Cureus. 2018 Dec; 10(12): e3695.

Published online 2018 Dec 5. doi: 10.7759/cureus.3695

PMCID: PMC6390887

PMID: 30838167

The Anatomical Relationships of the Tongue with the Body System

Monitoring Editor: Alexander Muacevic and John R Adler

Bruno Bordoni,¹ Bruno Morabito,² Roberto Mitrano,³ Marta Simonelli,⁴ and Anastasia Toccafondi³

The tongue plays a fundamental role in several body functions such as swallowing, breathing, speaking, and chewing. Its action is not confined to the oral cavity, but it affects lower limb muscle strength and posture. The tongue is an organ that has an autocrine/paracrine mechanism of action to synthesize different substances to interact with the whole body; according to a line of thought, it is also an extension of the enteric system. The aim of this study was to review the functions of the tongue and its anatomical association with the body system. According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first scientific article focusing on the tongue in a systemic context. In a clinical evaluation, connections with the tongue should be considered to optimize the clinical examination of the tongue and therefore enhance rehabilitation programs and therapeutic results.

The Anatomical Relationships of the Tongue with the Body System – PMC