Short answer:

to survive, to express ourselves and for pleasure.

Longer answer...

We use our lips to help us to eat. Not only to take hold of food, but to keep it inside our mouths.

While an adult might be able to eat without lips, they are necessary for a baby to get suction in order to nurse. Without lips, they would not be able to eat properly. Babies born with a cleft lip and palate need specially designed bottles to aid them in eating.

We express ourselves using our lips. First, with facial expressions... we smile, frown, sneer, grimace... the list goes on. Using the lips gives more meaning to our speech.

... which is the next part of expressing ourselves. Speech relies heavily on lip movement. Just try to talk without moving your lips and you will soon find how difficult it is. Some languages are harder to speak than others if you are trying to keep your lips still.

And with the abundance of nerves in our lips, we experience pleasure very easily. It is considered an erogenous zone and a tactile organ... because of this sensitive nerve function it can also alert us to foods and drinks being too hot, which can protect us from burns.

http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/2540/20080720053828/www.publishersweekly.com/articles/blog/880000288/20080212/Loose%20Lips.jpg

It is interesting to note that lips are not colored... but instead the skin is so thin, and since it does not have pigment of its own, the blood is able to show through, making them appear colored. Those of darker color skin have more pigment in their lips which makes them appear darker, and not as pink.

And thanks for asking this question... I learned some things researching the answer for you. =)
Source(s):
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/Cosmetic_Surgery/hic_Cleft_Lip_and_P...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip
http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/2540/20080720053828/www.publishersweekly.com...


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