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The primary function of the tongue in mammals is to provide a mechanism for taste. The muscles of the tongue are a complex array of interdigitating fibers, responsible for the tongue's almost limitless array of movements, sizes and shapes. As a muscle it is also important as a means of creating the negative pressure necessary for infants to suckle, an exclusively mammalian activity. The tongue also functions as an accessory organ for chewing, swallowing, grooming and cleaning (producing antibiotics that protect the mouth and open wounds an animal might clean with its tongue). In humans, the tongue is extremely important because it enables spoken language. This organ is a mass of interwoven, striated muscle tissue interspersed with glands and fat and covered with a mucous membrane. The top surface contains numerous projections of the mucous membrane called papillae, which contain taste buds. Taste buds are located in different areas