Mouth The mouth is an oral cavity located on the head of humans just below the nose.

Its main function of the mouth is to provide a way for air, food and water to enter the body. The anatomy of the mouth is made up of four parts: the oral cavity, glands, teeth and tongue. The oral cavity of the mouth includes the vestibule, palate and gingiva. The vestibule of the mouth is the space between the lips that create an entrance into the oral cavity. Lips are movable parts of the mouth that help open up the mouth for food, allow for facial expressions and help in speech. The palate is also called the roof of the mouth and separates the nasal cavity from the oral cavity. The gingiva, also nown as the gums, consist of mucosal tissue that lies on the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. !ingiva is soft tissue that lines the mouth. It surrounds the teeth and eeps them in place. The glands of the mouth are exocrine glands that excrete saliva and en"ymes that brea down starch. #aliva is li$uid that contains en"ymes that help digest food and also protects teeth from bacteria. It acts as lubrication that initiates swallowing. The major salivary glands of the mouth are the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. These glands produce most of your saliva inside of your mouth which assist in digestion and chewing.

%uman teeth are small hard enamel structure that wor in mechanically brea ing down items of food by cutting and crushing them in preparation for digestion and swallowing. Teeth are

embedded in the upper and lower jaws and are covered by gums. Teeth are the longest lasting parts of mammals. %umans develop two sets of teeth during their lifetime. The first set are the baby teeth that first emerge at about six months of age. &hildren lose the first set and grow a second set that last throughout their adult lives. 'arts of the teeth include: the enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp. (namel is the hardest part of the tooth which is made of calcium phosphate.The color of enamel ranges from yellow to white. (namel is considered the hardest substance in the body. )entin is the substance between enamel and cementum )entin is softer than enamel and is made up of living cells unli e enamel. (ven though it is softer than enamel it is essential in supporting the strength of enamel. &ementum is a layer of connective tissue that binds the roots of the teeth firmly to the gums and jawbone. The main role of cementum is to be a material for which periodontal ligaments can attach to the tooth. 'ulp is the softest part of the tooth. It contains blood vessels and nerves which run into it at a hole in the root of the tooth. The function of the dental pulp is to create dentin using odontoblasts. Its other functions are to eep the parts of the tooth supplied with nutrients and sense temperature or pain. The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth that is the primary organ of taste. It is covered in papillae and taste buds and is ept moist by saliva. Taste buds are groups of cells that connect to nerves that deliver taste signals to the brain. The tongue perceives four inds of taste: sweet,sour,bitter, and salty by the use of ten*thousand taste buds that cover the tongue. +nother function of the tongue is assisting in speech. It has nerve cells that can perceive pain, heat and pressure.

The tongue is classified as a muscular hydrostat which is a biological structure made up of mainly muscles with no bones. The hydraulic movement of the tongue is allowed by extrinsic and intrinsic muscles.The mouth is clearly related to the digestive and respiratory system. The oral cavity is the first part of the digestive system but the most important. Teeth brea down food and saliva in the mouth has en"ymes that aid in brea ing down food. The saliva also lubricates the food so it can pass more easily. The mouth also functions as a pathway for air to enter the lungs. +ir is inhaled and exhaled through the mouth. The gums in the mouth have a lin to the cardiovascular system. ,inety*one percent of people with hear disease have severe gum disease. -hen bacteria builds up on your teeth the gums can become infected. The immune system comes to destroy the infection and the gums become inflamed. If your immune system is too wea you may become prone to other illnesee through your mouth. #evere gum disease or periodontitis can result from the gums being eaten away from the bacterial infection. 'eriodontitis is connected to diabetes because inflammation wea ens the body.s ability to control blood sugar. Inflammation in the mouth can cause inflammation in blood vessels. This increases the ris of a heart attac because inflamed blood vessels allow less blood to get to the rest of the body. 'eriodontitis may also play a role in the stunted growth of babies. It is certain that your body and mouth are connected. )entists agree that ta ing care of your mouth helps contribute to a healthy body.

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