Mouth (source code)
= Mouth
The <mouth> is the entrance to the digestive tract and a movable part of the <vocal tract>. Its cavity is bounded by the <lips>, cheeks, <palate> and floor of the <mouth>, with the <tongue> occupying much of the space. The <teeth> break food into smaller pieces while the <tongue> and cheeks position it for chewing and swallowing.<Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts and others>[Section 23.3, The Mouth and The Tongue]{ref}
Mechanical processing and chemical processing cooperate: mixing food with saliva makes a movable bolus and exposes it to salivary components. The same cavity also changes shape during <speech>. Opening the <jaw> or repositioning the <tongue> changes the passage through which air and <sound> travel, so digestive anatomy is also an articulatory instrument.
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