Mouse Tongue Tissue - 40x
The digital image shown above is a three-dimensional reconstruction of mouse tongue tissue sections. The tongue is a mass of striated muscle tissue, interspersed with fat, glands, and surrounded by a mucous membrane. The upper surface of the tongue bears numerous mucous membrane projections termed papillae as well as the taste buds. In addition to serving as the primary organ of taste, the tongue serves a variety of other purposes, some of which vary by species. In humans, for instance, the tongue is essential for speech, for dogs the muscle plays an important role in heat regulation, cats commonly use their tongues for self cleaning, and frogs and chameleons are among the numerous animals that catch prey with their tongues.