Why you don't bite your tongue while eating

Researchers have revealed the complex brain circuitry that allows people to avoid biting their own tongue while chewing their food.

Researchers have established that the movement of the muscles in the jaw and tongue are governed by special neurons called motoneurons and that these are in turn controlled by another set of neurons called premotor neurons. But the exact nature of these connections which premotor neurons connect to which motoneurons has not been yet defined.

Edward Stanek IV, lead study author said that chewing is an activity that you can consciously control, but if people stop paying attention then these interconnected neurons in the brain do it all for them.

This is just a small step in understanding the control of these orofacial movements and they have only looked at two muscles and there are at least 10 other muscles active during chewing, drinking, and speech, he added.

The study is published in eLife.