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  • KidsHealth presents, 'How The Body Works',

  • with Chloe and the Nurb.

  • Ah, how I love that, I just finished a book feeling.

  • What are you reading, Nurb?

  • I'm learning to be a sales nurb.

  • Can I try out my brand new sales technique on you?

  • I don't know.

  • I'm a pretty tough customer.

  • Perfect.

  • Old nurb loves to rise to a challenge.

  • What you selling?

  • Hm, I'm not sure, but it's right on the tip of my--

  • Tongue?

  • Ding, ding, ding.

  • The tongue!

  • But I already have a tongue.

  • Before you decide, let me tell you

  • all the wonderful things you'll get

  • with your shiny, new tongue!

  • This amazing tongue can be used to talk, eat, and taste.

  • First, let's talk about talking, since we're doing it already.

  • The front of the tongue is very flexible,

  • and is used to create many of the sounds we call talking.

  • Just try to say, this or that without it.

  • Go ahead, I dare you.

  • Ah -- ugh.

  • Wow, that is hard to say.

  • And the back of the tongue helps with other sounds,

  • like "k" and "g."

  • How would we sing without this wondrous muscle in our mouth?

  • Terribly.

  • But with it--

  • [singing]

  • The tongue can also help us eat.

  • It moves food around your mouth while you

  • chew, pushing it to your back teeth so they can grind it up.

  • It's like a marvelous, spit-covered

  • food-moving machine.

  • While the teeth grind up the food,

  • it gets mixed with saliva.

  • Which we also call spit.

  • The spirit and food mixture then get pushed by your tongue

  • to the back of your throat, where

  • it travels down your esophagus or food pipe to your stomach.

  • Eating would be awfully hard without saliva.

  • And flavorless, since a dry tongue can't taste a thing.

  • Thank you spit.

  • Tasting is the best.

  • But I'm still not sold.

  • Well, we've only just gotten started with all the

  • exciting tasting, features your new tongue has.

  • The surface of your tongue feels rough,

  • because it's covered with a layer of small bumps called

  • papillae.

  • Papillae.

  • Papillae.

  • The papillae contain your taste buds.

  • And those help us taste everything

  • from apples to zucchini.

  • And everything in between.

  • The average person has 10,000 taste buds.

  • These amazing little bumps can detect sweet, sour, bitter,

  • and salty flavors.

  • Now, you're just making me hungry.

  • And you should be.

  • Your brand new tongue can detect all four

  • of these fabulous tastes at once.

  • Now, hold on Nurb.

  • I've heard there's a fifth kind of flavor the tongue can taste.

  • It's called umami.

  • My mommy?

  • Not quite, though she does have excellent taste.

  • Umami is the Japanese word for yummy, and that's how it takes.

  • Think of Parmesan cheese, ketchup,

  • sauces made with soy sauce.

  • Yummy!

  • Now, you're selling me.

  • This powerful organ can detect five separate tastes.

  • And if you order right now, we'll throw in a free nose!

  • Without the nose's incredible smelling power,

  • well, you can't really taste very much.

  • Is that why when my nose is stuffy, I can't taste

  • very well?

  • Bingo!

  • Taste and smell are very closely connected.

  • Wow.

  • I am really impressed by all the things the tongue can do.

  • The best part is the tongue never rests.

  • That's right folks.

  • These tongues don't just work all day.

  • They go all night, no batteries necessary.

  • So what do you say Chloe?

  • Will you buy a new tongue?

  • It's a real bargain!

  • So you're telling me this one tongue

  • can be used to talk, eat, and taste?

  • That's what I'm telling you Chloe!

  • You sold me.

  • I'll take one.

  • The tongue!

  • It's got flavor!

  • Limit one tongue per customers.

  • Tongues are not intended for tasting dirt, licking

  • frozen poles, or sticking out at brothers or sisters.

KidsHealth presents, 'How The Body Works',

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