The tongue has glands, sensory cells, and fatty tissue that helps to moisten food with saliva. Unless it is mixed with saliva, you cannot taste food. If salt is placed on a dry tongue, the taste buds will not be able to identify it. As soon as saliva is added, the salt dissolves and the taste sensation takes place. There are 4 basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides. On average length of a human tongue from the oropharynx to the tip is four inches (ten centimeters). But Stephen Taylor’s tongue is even longer! He holds the Guinness World Record for the longest tongue, measuring 3.74 inches (9,5 cm). They measure the tongue from the tip to the center of the closed top lip. The longest tongue of any living being belongs to a blue whale. The tongue of a blue whale is as long as an elephant and weighs almost 3 tons.