Bird, tongue (Gross, Low)

Structure List Tongue Trachea Glottis Esophagus

The avian tongue is triangular in shape and is unique in that it has a bony or cartilaginous skeletal process within it. Food is not supported in a tetrapod's oral cavity by a current of water, so a muscular tongue has an important role in digesting, transporting and swallowing the food. The tongue is also used in many other ways. Aside from variations in tongue shape, various regions of the tongue have elevations of the mucosa called PAPILLAE which serve both mechanical and gustatory functions. For example, ducks and geese have a tongue fringed with papillae that fit loosely into grooves in the edges of the beak, providing a means of sifting food particles from water.