The tongue is a fundamental organ in basic biological human functions, such as breathing, swallowing and speaking. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms for fine tongue motor control have not been investigated thoroughly. Whereas many studies of postural limb control have documented the role of reflex mechanisms in rapid compensation for perturbations, it is still unclear whether such low-level control mechanisms exist in the tongue. The study addressed this question by examining tongue responses to transient mechanical perturbations using a combination of behavioral observations and computational simulations with a biophysiological tongue model.