Slippery When Wet Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pituitary gland

The parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands all come in pairs and, between them, produce a combination of mucus and serous fluid (a thin, watery substance). The sublingual glands can be found beneath the tongue, while the submandibular glands are under the lower jaw. The parotid glands are at the back of the lower jaw, close to the ear.

As for the pituitary gland, it's in the brain, behind the bridge of the nose. It is responsible for producing several important hormones, such as growth hormone and gonadotropins, which stimulate production of testosterone in men, and oestrogen production in women.

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Answer: 8

Contrary to popular belief, the tongue isn't just one long muscle! It's actually made up of eight different muscles. Half of these muscles are intrinsic, and the other half are extrinsic. The four intrinsic muscles enable the tongue to expand and contract, and play a part in speech and swallowing food. The four extrinsic muscles are attached to the jawbone and enable the tongue to move up and down, or from side to side.

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Answer: Corporeal stage

The stages of the process of swallowing are as follows: during the oral preparatory stage, the food is chewed in the mouth and mixed with saliva. Next is the oral stage, in which, with the help of the tongue, the food is moved backwards through the mouth towards the throat. The pharyngeal stage gets its name from the pharynx, a passageway located at the back of the throat. During this stage, the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) close off to stop the food going into the lungs. Finally, during the oesophageal stage, the food enters the oesophagus, and then heads down into the stomach.

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Answer: Umami

The concept of a taste known as 'umami' was coined by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, a Japanese chemist, in 1908. Ikeda noticed a certain kind of taste occurring in foods such as tomatoes and asparagus which could not be classified as salty, bitter, sweet or sour, and coined the term 'umami' from the Japanese words 'umai' ('delicious') and 'mi' ('taste') to describe this new fifth taste. Other typical umami foods include parmesan cheese, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer often used in Japanese and Chinese cooking. It is the sodium salt form of glutamic acid, an amino acid which can be found in fermented products such as soy sauce.

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Answer: Cleft palate

A cleft palate occurs when the bones of the palate do not fuse together while the baby is developing inside the womb, leaving a large hole in the roof of the mouth. This can cause difficulties with suckling, as the milk goes through the hole in the baby's mouth and into the nose, and also puts the baby at risk of ear infection. The NHS website estimates that around 1 in 700 babies in the UK are born with a cleft lip and/or palate; these conditions can occur both together and separately. In most cases, cleft palates can be treated with surgery when the baby is 12-18 months old.

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Answer: Lactic acid

The Streptococcus mutans bacterium converts sugars into lactic acid. Lactic acid eats away at the enamel of the teeth and increases acidity in the mouth. Combine that with plaque, caused by bacteria forming colonies that cling to the teeth, and you're at risk of getting tooth cavities.

Lactic acid is also used as a fermenting agent in products such as kimchi (a Korean vegetable dish) and yogurt.

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Answer: A third set of molars

Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that grow at the back of the gums. They generally start to grow through some time between your late teens and your twenties. Sometimes they can grow through without any problems, but in other instances, they may become impacted by growing at an angle and not being able to emerge properly because of another tooth blocking the way, or may not completely grow through the gums. The NHS website recommends removal of wisdom teeth only as a last resort, if other treatments for tooth pain - such as mouthwash or antibiotics - are unsuccessful.

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Answer: Yes

Snorting cocaine is harmful to the mouth as well as the nose. Ingestion by nose can cause dryness in the mouth, sore throats and breathing difficulties. On a similar note, compulsive teeth grinding (bruxism), one side effect of cocaine usage, can also cause long-term damage to the teeth and gums, by wearing away the tooth enamel.

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Answer: Maxillae and mandible

In humans, the maxillae are the two bones that fuse to form the upper jaw and palate, while the mandible is the lower jaw. (I say 'in humans' specifically because in regards to the anatomy of bony fish, 'maxilla' is the word for both jawbones - they're known as the upper and lower maxilla respectively.)

As for the other bones, the phalanges and carpal are in the hands, the radius and ulna make up the forearm, and the femur and patella are the thighbone and kneecap respectively.

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Answer: Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease

GORD (known as GERD in the US), or Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease, is a condition where stomach acid leaks out of the stomach and into the throat, as a result of the lower oesophageal sphincter not working properly. The lower oesophageal sphincter's function is preventing acid from leaking out of the stomach - it acts as a kind of valve. However, in people with GORD, your lower oesophageal sphincter is weakened and does not always close completely, or opens too often, causing acid to travel up the throat and into the mouth, and leaving an unpleasant taste.

As well as acid reflux, GORD can also cause heartburn and difficulty with swallowing.

(Lyrics from 'Everybody's Broken', from the album 'Lost Highway'.)