Tonguetip

Tonguetip, also known as the apex of the tongue, refers to the anterior-most portion of the organ. It is a flexible, muscular region that participates in a range of oral functions, including speech, manipulation of food, and the initiation of swallowing.

Anatomy and innervation: The tongue tip is shaped by the intrinsic muscles of the tongue (longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles) and moves in concert with extrinsic muscles such as the genioglossus. Motor control is provided by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII), which innervates all intrinsic and most extrinsic tongue muscles. Sensory information from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, including the tip, travels via the lingual nerve (branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, V3), while taste sensation from the same region is carried by the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). The tip receives blood supply primarily from the lingual artery.

Function: The tongue tip is central to precise articulation of many consonants, especially dental and alveolar sounds, and it contributes to the directional control needed for chewing and swallowing. It also participates in gustation over the anterior portion of the tongue, although taste is distributed across the tongue rather than confined to the tip alone.

Clinical notes: Variation in tongue-tip movement can occur with neurological or muscular conditions, and trauma or inflammation can affect sensation, taste, or mobility in this region. Glossitis, fissured tongue, and geographic tongue are examples of conditions that may involve the tongue surface, including the tip.

Development and evolution: The tongue develops from pharyngeal arches and surrounding mesenchyme, with its intrinsic musculature arising from occipital somites. In many mammals, the tip remains the most versatile and mobile portion for feeding and vocalization.