Why Do Tangent Functions Have a 180-Degree Period and Asymptotes?

[Johnnycab]

Why does the period of a tangent function = 180 degrees, and the sine and cosine functions have periods of 360 degrees. Also i don't understand why asymptotes are included in the tangent graph, and not the other two

If someone could clarfy this for me id be very thankful

 

[quasar987]

It is because the tan(x) function is a ratio of sin(x) and cos(x).

As x gets near \pi/2}, cos(x) gets very near from 0, while sin(x) gets near 1. So tan(x) near \pi/2} gets very big, hence the assymptote at \pi/2}. The same phonomenon explain the other assymptotes.