5 Amazing Facts About Your Tongue

If you didn't have a tongue, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between gourmet cheese and envelope glue. But tasting is only icing on the cake when it comes to what this organ can do. Here are five amazing facts about the tongue.

Your tongue collects data and sends signals to the brain, letting it know if the food you're eating is good, bad, or even poisonous. These best buds are your body's first line of defense.

The tongue is essential for speaking. With it, you can yap 90 words a minute or even more. The world record is 655 words per minute by Guinness record holder Sean Shannon.

The tongue is like a mood ring. If it's pink, you're in good health. If it's white, you could have dry mouth, infection, or even a fever. A blue tongue could mean you're lacking oxygen or that you just ate a popsicle.

Tongue prints are as unique as fingerprints. Maybe they should be using these at the DMV. The tongue conveys a message with just its presence. In Tibet, sticking your tongue out is a sign of respect. But in the US, not so much. Unless you're Albert Einstein or a six-month-old, best to keep it in your mouth.