Logan Steele
The tongue is a muscular organ that is formed by a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The tongue is essential for speaking, swallowing, and sucking in a coordinated way. It is also a sensory organ responsible for tasting and is the part of the body that is most sensitive to touch. The muscles that make up the tongue are paired, with each muscle from a pair relating to one half of the tongue. There are two groups of muscles associated with the tongue: the intrinsic muscles, which are the core of the tongue and placed within it, and the extrinsic muscles, which are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it.
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What You'll Learn
The tongue has four intrinsic muscles that alter its shape
The human tongue is composed of eight muscles, four intrinsic and four extrinsic. The four intrinsic muscles are not attached to bone and are responsible for altering the shape of the tongue. They are:
- The superior longitudinal muscle, which runs along the upper surface of the tongue under the mucous membrane, and functions to shorten and curl the tongue upward.
- The inferior longitudinal muscle, which lines the sides of the tongue and is joined to the styloglossus muscle. It functions to shorten and curl the tongue downward.
- The vertical muscle, which is located in the middle of the tongue and joins the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles.
- The transverse muscle, which divides the tongue in the middle and is attached to the mucous membranes that run along the sides. It functions to lengthen and narrow the tongue.
These four intrinsic muscles work together to alter the shape of the tongue by lengthening and shortening it, curling and uncurling its apex and edges, and flattening and rounding its surface. This shape manipulation is essential for speech, swallowing, and eating.
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There are four pairs of extrinsic muscles that change the tongue's position
The tongue is formed by eight paired muscles, comprising four intrinsic and four extrinsic muscles. The four extrinsic muscles are the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus. These muscles are responsible for altering the position of the tongue, allowing for protrusion, retraction, and side-to-side movement.
The genioglossus muscle arises from the mandible and protrudes the tongue, earning it the nickname of the "safety muscle" as it is the only muscle that propels the tongue forward. The hyoglossus muscle, on the other hand, arises from the hyoid bone and is responsible for retracting and depressing the tongue. The styloglossus muscle originates from the styloid process of the temporal bone and facilitates swallowing by drawing the sides of the tongue up to create a trough.
The final muscle of the four pairs, the palatoglossus, originates from the palatine aponeurosis and plays a crucial role in swallowing. It depresses the soft palate, moves the palatoglossal fold towards the midline, and elevates the back of the tongue. This muscle is unique among the four pairs as it is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X) rather than the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Together, these four pairs of extrinsic muscles work in harmony with the four intrinsic muscles to enable the tongue to perform a variety of functions, including digestion, taste perception, speech, and even breathing.
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The genioglossus is the tongue's 'safety muscle'
The tongue is a muscular organ with a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles are the tongue's core muscles and are placed within it. They alter the tongue's shape and are not attached to the bone. The extrinsic muscles, on the other hand, are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it. They alter the position of the tongue and are anchored to the bone.
The genioglossus is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a thick, fan-shaped muscle that constitutes the bulk of the tongue. The name "genioglossus" comes from the Greek words "geneion," meaning "chin," and "glossa," meaning "tongue." This muscle arises from the mandible and is responsible for protruding the tongue. It is also known as the tongue's "safety muscle" because it is the only muscle that propels the tongue forward.
The genioglossus has an important role in stabilising and enlarging the upper airway, preventing the tongue from sinking backward and obstructing breathing. This is particularly relevant during general anaesthesia, as relaxation of the genioglossus muscle can lead to obstructive sleep apnea. By understanding the role of the genioglossus, medical professionals can take measures to prevent airway obstruction, such as pulling the mandible forward or using intubation to create an artificial airway.
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, as are all the muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is innervated by the vagus nerve. The blood supply to the genioglossus comes from the sublingual branch of the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. The deep lingual artery, a termination of the lingual artery, passes between the genioglossus and the inferior longitudinal muscle, supplying the apex of the tongue.
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The styloglossus creates a trough for swallowing
The tongue is a muscular organ formed by a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles of the tongue are involved primarily in changing its shape, which is essential for speaking. The extrinsic muscles, on the other hand, are anchored to the bone and change the tongue's position, allowing for protrusion, retraction, and side-to-side movement.
The styloglossus is one of the four paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It arises from the styloid process of the temporal bone and inserts onto the side of the tongue. The styloglossus draws the sides of the tongue up to create a trough for swallowing. This trough is a longitudinal concave fold at the back of the tongue that helps in the oral phase of swallowing.
The oral phase of swallowing involves transferring a bolus of food or liquid from the mouth to the pharynx. The bolus is formed when food or liquid is contained in the mouth by the buccinator against the occlusal surfaces of the teeth and moistened by saliva. The bolus is ready to be swallowed when it is held together by saliva and mucus. The tongue then pushes the bolus to the back of the mouth, triggering the swallowing reflex.
The styloglossus, along with the mylohyoid, genioglossus, and hyoglossus, elevates the tongue to the roof of the mouth such that it slopes downwards posteriorly. This action, along with the contraction of the styloglossus and genioglossus, also contributes to the formation of the central trough. The food bolus is then moved by the muscles in the back of the tongue along the palate and into the oesophageal passage.
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The tongue is a muscular hydrostat
The tongue is a muscular organ formed by a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles of the tongue are involved primarily in changing its shape, which is essential for speaking. The four intrinsic muscles are the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. The extrinsic muscles, on the other hand, are responsible for changing the position of the tongue. These include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. All of the tongue's muscles, except the palatoglossus, are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve.
The constant volume of muscular hydrostats is a crucial biomechanical feature. The contractions of muscles perpendicular to the long axis cause a decrease in diameter while maintaining a constant volume, resulting in elongation. Conversely, shortening is caused by the contraction of muscles parallel to the long axis, leading to an increase in diameter and shortening in length. This mechanism is observed in the human tongue, allowing for its agility and flexibility.
The bending of a muscular hydrostat is particularly significant in animal tongues, facilitating the complexities of human speech and a snake's ability to sense its surroundings. The stiffening of a muscular hydrostat is achieved by the muscle or connective tissue resisting dimensional changes. Torsion, or twisting, occurs along the long axis due to a helical or oblique arrangement of musculature. The peripheral location of the oblique or helical muscle arrays in the muscular hydrostats is essential for their function.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the muscles of the tongue are paired, with each muscle from a pair relating to one half of the tongue.
There are two groups of muscles associated with the tongue: the intrinsic muscles and the extrinsic muscles.
The four intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue and are not attached to the bone.
The four paired extrinsic muscles change the position of the tongue and are anchored to the bone.
The four extrinsic muscles are the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus.
