Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology

---

Mouth
Head and neck.
Latin	cavitas oris
Gray's	subject #
System
MeSH	A01.456.505.631
A closed female human mouth

The mouth, buccal cavity, 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] The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth.

In addition to its primary role as the beginning of the digestive system, in humans the mouth also plays a significant role in communication. While primary aspects of the voice are produced in the throat, the tongue, lips, and jaw are also needed to produce the range of sounds included in human language. Another non-digestive function of the mouth is it role in secondary social and/or sexual activity, such as kissing. The physical appearance of the mouth and lips play a part in defining sexual attractiveness. ^[2]

The mouth is normally moist, and is lined with a mucous membrane. The lips mark the transition from mucous membrane to skin, which covers most of the body.

Contents 1 In humans 1.1 Mouth Cavity 1.2 Function 1.3 Cultural aspects 1.4 Development 2 In animals 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

In humansEdit

Mouth CavityEdit

File:Mouth illustration-Otis Archives.jpg

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.

FunctionEdit

The mouth plays an important role in speech (it is part of the vocal apparatus), facial expression,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 aspectsEdit

According to western 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 practiced by females. Both men and women, however, apply lip balm in order to soothe chapped or dry lips.

Piercings in or around the mouth have been made popular by the younger generations. Piercings on the lip or tongue are not uncommon. The uvula piercing is also making a greater appearance, though it still remains a relatively rare piercing and there are still many piercers who refuse to do it.

DevelopmentEdit

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 animalsEdit

File:Gators mouth.jpg

Some animal phyla, 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 posteriorly by the isthmus of the fauces.^[3]

See alsoEdit

• Head and neck anatomy
• Mouth breathing
• Teeth (anatomy)

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Dictionary at eMedicine oral+cavity

Human anatomical features This box: view • talk • edit

HEAD: Forehead – Eye – Ear – Nose – Mouth – Tongue – Teeth – Jaw – Face – Cheek – Chin NECK: Throat – Adam's apple TORSO: Shoulders – Spine – Chest – Breast – Ribcage – Abdomen – Belly button Sex organs (Penis/Scrotum/Testicle or Clitoris/Vagina/Ovary/Uterus) – Hip – Anus – Buttocks LIMBS: Arm – Elbow – Forearm – Wrist – Hand – Finger (Thumb - Index finger - Middle finger - Ring finger - Little finger) – Leg – Lap – Thigh – Knee – Calf – Heel – Ankle – Foot – Toe (Hallux) SKIN: Hair

1. REDIRECT Template:Digestive tract

v·d·e General anatomy of head and neck - head
Face/Occiput	Forehead • Eye • Ear • Temple • Cheek • Chin
External nose	Nostril • Nasal septum • Cartilages (Accessory nasal, of the septum, Greater alar, Lateral nasal, Lesser alar, Vomeronasal)  • Olfactory glands
Nasal cavity	Choana • Turbinate • Sphenoethmoidal recess • Ethmoid bulla • Hiatus semilunaris • Ostium maxillare • Inferior meatus • Vomeronasal organ • Paranasal sinus
Mouth/oral cavity	Lip • Philtrum • Jaw • Pterygomandibular raphe
Teeth	Permanent (Incisor, Canine, Premolar, Molar)  • Deciduous
Tongue	Plica fimbriata • Median sulcus • Foramen cecum • Terminal sulcus • Frenulum linguae • Anterior tongue • Posterior tongue
Palate/roof of mouth	Hard palate • Soft palate • Palatine raphe • Incisive papilla • Uvula • Pharyngeal recess • Arches (Palatoglossal, Palatopharyngeal)
Salivary glands	Parotid gland/Parotid duct • Submandibular gland/Submandibular duct • Sublingual gland/Major sublingual duct
Other	fascia (Masseteric fascia, Temporal fascia, Galea aponeurotica) • Scalp

v·d·e Oral Pathology: Oral pathology (K00-K14, 520-529)
Developmental Anomalies	Anodontia/Hypodontia - Hyperdontia - abnormalities of size and form of teeth (Concrescence, Fusion, Gemination, Dens evaginatus/Talon cusp, Dens invaginatus, Enamel pearl, Macrodontia, Microdontia, Taurodontism) - disturbances in tooth formation (Dilaceration, Regional odontodysplasia, Turner's hypoplasia) - other hereditary disturbances in tooth structure (Amelogenesis imperfecta, Dentinogenesis imperfecta, Dentin dysplasia)
Hard, Soft and Periapical Tissues	Attrition - Abrasion - Ankylosis - Dental caries - Denticles - Erosion - External resorption - Fluorosis - Gingivitis - Impaction - Internal resorption - Periodontitis - Pulpitis - Ulcer
Dentofacial Anomalies	Malocclusion - Micrognathism - Prognathism - Retrognathism - Temporomandibular joint disorder
Maxillomandibular anomalies	Odontogenic keratocyst - Torus mandibularis - Torus palatinus - Cherubism - Ameloblastoma
Salivary glands	Drooling - Benign lymphoepithelial lesion - Necrotizing sialometaplasia - Ranula - Sialadenitis - Sialolithiasis - Stomatitis - Xerostomia - Aphthous ulcer
Lip and Oral mucosa	Angular cheilitis - Erythroplakia - Hairy leukoplakia - Leukoplakia
Tongue	Geographic tongue - Fissured tongue - Glossitis - Glossodynia - Black hairy tongue

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).