Q38: Other congenital malformations of tongue, mouth and pharynx

Q38.3: Other congenital malformations of tongue

The tongue is mostly made up of muscles. The tongue is important for chewing, swallowing and speaking. It is connected to the back of the throat. There are many taste buds on the surface of the tongue. The taste buds have lots of small nerves, allowing us to perceive taste.

While developing in the womb, many different types of tissue develop in the body. The organs and body parts develop out of the various types of tissue. If tissue fails to develop properly, defects can occur. Defects can involve tissue being changed or missing, for example.