[MUSIC PLAYING]
AMY GARBER: The tongue-- sorry,
the tongue, a one-word name
for an incredible group
of muscles.
It's also my favorite body part.
I don't have to exercise it,
massage it, or worry that it'll
look flabby at the beach.
But the tongue's awesomeness
doesn't stop there.
Ah.
Look at that beauty in all
its wondrous, wet pinkness.
Now, let's really get in there.
Check out all those bumps.
Most people think those are
our taste buds, but they're
actually the papillae, which
help grip your food.
In the tips of those papillae
are where our 10,000 taste buds
live.
And each taste bud contains
tiny little hairs called
microvilli.
When food touches them,
they send messages to the brain
about how something tastes.
You know, like sweet, salty,
sour, or bitter.
Taste buds aren't just
about providing
pleasurable sensations.
They also serve as a warning
system telling us food
has spoiled so we don't swallow
it.
And for those people out there
who fear swallowing
their tongue, you know who you
are.
You see that thing
under your tongue?
It's a lovely band of tissue
called the frenulum,
and it anchors the tongue
to your mouth.
So even if you're Gene Simmons,
it's impossible to swallow
your tongue.
Now, I was a little freaked
to learn that my tongue is
covered with tiny hairs,
but I guess it's OK if I can
enjoy cake, pudding, and really
expensive tequila.
That was good, right?
SPEAKER 2: It was all right.
AMY GARBER: You know what, I
need chocolate pudding
and tequila stat.
[MUSIC PLAYING]