Mouth

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(Redirected from Oral cavity)

Mouth

Template:Infobox Anatomy The human mouth (also called oral cavity) is a wonderfully designed machine with many different parts that operate all together to keep you alive, healthy and happy. The mouth is one of the key parts of the human digestive system. The mouth (or oral cavity) is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva.^[1]

1 In humans
2 Function
- 2.1 Cultural aspects
- 2.2 Development
3 In animals
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

In humans

Mouth cavity The first space of the mouth is the mouth cavity, bounded laterally and in front by the alveolar arches (containing the teeth), and posteriorily by the isthmus of the fauces. The oral cavity is also known as the mouth which it swallows food and drinks and goes down to the person's stomach.

Function

USE OF THE HUMAN MOUTH AND TEETH
The human mouth and teeth are used not only for eating, but also for formatting the sounds while speaking and for the expression of our feelings and emotions.
All the parts of the mouth contribute to performing these actions.
The absence of one or more teeth can cause problems to digesting your food, right speech and good appearance, affecting your physical and mental health.
Reduced flow of saliva creates problems with chewing, swallowing and digesting food.
EATING AND SWALLOWING
The parts of the human mouth operate like a super mincing machine :
- the front teeth cut the food
- the side teeth tear and shred it
- the back teeth crush and grind it
- the saliva moistens the food and
- the action of the tongue and the cheeks mix it all up so that it is easy to swallow
- tiny pimples on the surface of the tongue, the 'taste buds' tell you what you are tasting. SPEAKING
- from the first yell of a new born baby the human mouth mixes the sounds which come up from the vocal chords in the throat
- all the different sounds which people make when they talk and sing depend on the way they use their : LIPS - TONGUE -TEETH
EXPRESSION
- whenever you show your feelings you use parts of the mouth for : Smiling - Laughing - Crying - Kissing - Blowing - Whistling ...

The mouth plays an important role in speech (it is part of the vocal apparatus), facial expression, kissing, eating, drinking (especially with a straw), breathing.

Infants are born with a sucking reflex, by which they instinctively know to suck for nourishment using their lips and jaw.

Cultural aspects

According to general etiquette, the mouth is kept closed, especially when chewing.

Lips can be adorned with lipstick or lip gloss, although in most cultures this is typically only practised by females.

Piercings have been made popular by the younger generations. Lip, tongue, and the 'Monroe' (Monroe piercing is a stud piercing placed on one's face in the same area as Marilyn Monroe's well known and prominent birthmark was) are piercings seen in many varieties. Piercings of any sort besides two subtle earrings are seen as rebellious to the norm in many western cultures.

Development

The philtrum is the vertical groove in the upper lip, formed where the nasomedial and maxillary processes meet during embryo development. When these processes fail to fuse fully, a hare lip and/or cleft palate can result.

The nasolabial folds are the deep creases of tissue that extend from the nose to the sides of the mouth. One of the first signs of age on the human face is the increase in prominence of the nasolabial folds.

In animals

Some animals, including vertebrates, have a complete digestive system, with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other. Which end forms first in ontogeny is a criterion used to classify animals into protostome and deuterostome. The first space of the mouth is the mouth cavity, bounded laterally and in front by the alveolar arches (containing the teeth), and posteriorily by the isthmus of the fauces.^[2]