The mouth, also known as the buccal or the oral cavity, refers to an orifice through which food, water, and air enter the body. Therefore, the oral cavity opens to the outsides at the lips and empties to the body through the gut. Its boundaries are defined by the glottis, the soft and the palates, the lips, and the cheeks. It is worth noting the mouth is divided into two sections that include the vestibule, which is the area between the teeth and the cheeks, as well as the oral cavity proper, which is the large section of the mouth filled with the tongue. Some of the essential parts of the mouth include the tongue, earth, and palates.
For more details about the anatomy of the human mouth, continue scrolling down the article and get everything you need to know.
The Tongue
The tongue refers to one of the most muscular organs in the mouth. Therefore, the tongue is covered with moist and pickled tissue known as the mucosa. The organ also contains some tiny bumps known as papillae that help add a rough texture to the mouth. The tongue is also covered with thousands of taste buds that cover the entire surface of the papillae. The taste buds refer to a collection of nerve-like cells that connect the nerves to the brain, and they are critical as they help identify the taste of any food. You need to note that the tether that holds the mouth down the front of the tongue is known as the frenum. The tongue is anchored to the hyoid bone in the back of the mouth. Its central position is therefore critical as it helps in food chewing and swallowing as well as helping individuals to speak.
The Teeth
The teeth refer to the complex and resistant hard tissues that occur on the jaw and around the mouth and pharynx areas of vertebrates. Teeth, therefore, play critical roles such as caching and masticating food and giving the mouth its ideal shape, among other specialized functions. A tooth comprises two parts that include the root and the enamel. The root is the unseen portion of the tooth that fastens it to the jawbone. The enamel is the visible part of a tooth above the gum. You need to understand that the root is attached to the tooth-bearing bone known as the alveolar processes of the jaw known as the periodontal ligament. Another aspect worth noting is that the shape of the crown and the root varies among different teeth and differs from one animal species to the other.
The Palates
This refers to the root of the mouth with the front position being bony hence known as the hard palate, and the back portion being muscular hence said to be the soft palate. In other words, it’s the hard and soft tissue that separates the mouth cavity from the nasal cavity. Although you cannot taste any food using the palates, the tissue has developed some extended taste referring sense that identifies the taste of any specialized foods.