!Mouth
!!Anatomy and Functional Physiology
The mouth is the beginning of the ((Digestive - System Overview|digestive tract)). Here, food is caught, chewed, and salivated as preparation for further decomposition and usage. 

There are about 32 __teeth__ in the mouth, divided by function into incisors, fangs and molars, which are fastened in the 2 jawbones. Mouth and ((Digestive - Pharynx|pharynx)) are lined with mucosa which tightly envelops the dental necks as __gum__ (gingiva). Embedded into the gums are ((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Glands|salivary glands)), ((Circulatory - Lymphatic System|lymphatic cells)) and ((Nervous - Sensory Innervation|sensory receptors)) for touch, pain and temparature.

{img fileId="247" thumb="box"}

The mucosa of the mouth also lines the __tongue__, a muscle essential for examination, sucking, swallowing and sound production. It contains taste buds, papillae for chemical analysis of the contents of the mouth, which together with the sense of smell perceives the qualities of the ingested. Taste signals in the sensory cells are transferred to the ends of sensory nerve fibers and from there impulses are sent along the cranial nerves to the taste regions or relays in the brainstem. From here impulses are relayed to the thalamus and then to the cerebral cortex for conscious perception of ((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Ectodermal Mucosa|taste)).

These senses are also used in the storage of emotionally significant moments and conditioning of stress or regeneration triggers in the brain. They regulate the release of neurotransmitters influencing the ((Nervous - System Overview|nerve system)) and ((Endocrine - System Overview|hormone production)).

{img fileId="77" thumb="y" rel="box[g]"} graphic: Apsubiology.org 

Besides __ingestion, analysis and predigestion__ of food, the mouth serves many __social functions__ as verbal communication, mimic, sexuality, and signals to attract or resist.

{img fileId="2117" thumb="box"}

The tongue also has reflex zones for inner organs:

{img fileId="249" thumb="box"} graphic: [https://manimalbalance.jimdo.com/therapien/reflexzonen/|Andreas Rösti]

!!Brain

!!!Relays & META-Organ tissues
__Cerebral Cortex__ ( - / + ):
{img fileId="123" thumb="box"}{img fileId="104" thumb="box"}
*((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Ectodermal Mucosa|Oral,Tongue & Palate Mucosa)) (ectodermal)

*((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Gland Ducts|Salivary glands excretory ducts))

*Dental nerves, ((Nervous - Sensory Innervation|sensory)) & ((Nervous - Motoric Innervation|motoric)) nerves 

*((Digestive - Teeth - Enamel|Teeth enamel))

__Brain Stem__ ( + / - ):
{img fileId="190" thumb="box"}
*((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Endodermal Mucosa|Oral,Tongue & Palate Mucosa)) (endodermal)

*((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Glands|Salivary Glands))

__Cerebral Medulla__ ( - / + ):
{img fileId="175" thumb="box"}
*Tongue ((Musculoskeletal - Skeletal Muscles|Muscle))

*((Digestive - Teeth - Dentin|Teeth Dentin))

*Submucosa (((Musculoskeletal - Connective Tissue|connective tissue)))

*Hard Palate (((Musculoskeletal - Bones|bone)))
