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The tongue lies on the floor of the mouth. It is composed of
interlacing bundles of skeletal muscle and is covered by stratified squamous epithelium. The surface of the anterior two-thirds of the
tongue contains numerous small projections called papillae. There
are three distinct types of papilla which vary in distribution over
the dorsal surface of the tongue. While they are visible with the
unaided eye, their structures can be seen clearly only with the
microscope.
- Filiform papillae: the most numerous
- Fungiform papillae
- Vallate (or circumvallate) papillae
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See
this slide with the virtual
microscope