Life will become miserable without tongue. Therefore we should take great care of this organ which is made up of muscles. Function of the tongue. 1  On the surface of the tongue there are tiny papillae, they are in large number and the main function of the papilla is they act as taste buds. 2  Tongue can distinguish the taste of the food, such as bitter, sour, sweet and salty. 3  Tongue is responsible for speech.