Close-up of the tongue of a six year old boy. he front of the tongue's surface is covered in small projections called papillae. The largest of these, the vallate papillae, are easily seen by the naked eye and contain taste buds. On the back of the tongue are the lingual tonsils and behind the tongue either side of the throat are the palatine tonsils. The tonsils are collections of lymphoid tissue that are part of the immune system. Hanging at the top of the throat is the uvula.