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The human tongue is a muscular organ that plays a crucial role in various functions, including taste, speech, and swallowing. The tongue's complex movements are made possible by several muscles that work together to produce a wide range of motions. These muscles can be categorized into two groups: the intrinsic muscles and the extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles originate and attach to structures within the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles originate from structures outside the tongue, such as bones, and insert onto it. The genioglossus muscle, for example, is responsible for protruding the tongue, while the hyoglossus muscle retracts and depresses it. These muscles, along with the styloglossus and palatoglossus muscles, enable the tongue to move in various directions, facilitating protrusion, retraction, depression, and elevation. The superior longitudinal muscle also plays a role in shaping the tongue and is involved in the dorsiflexion of the tongue tip.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle that moves the tongue tip | Genioglossus muscle |
| Genioglossus muscle origin | Mandible |
| Genioglossus muscle function | Protrusion of the tongue |
| Genioglossus muscle innervation | Hypoglossal nerve |
| Other muscles that move the tongue | Hyoglossus, styloglossus, palatoglossus, superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, vertical |
| Function of the tongue muscles | Speech, eating, swallowing, changing the shape of the tongue |
| Tongue blood supply | Lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery |
| Tongue vein drainage | Lingual vein |
| Tongue nerve | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
| Tongue length | 10 cm |
| Tongue weight (adult male) | 99g |
| Tongue weight (adult female) | 79g |
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What You'll Learn
The genioglossus muscle is responsible for protruding the tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ that plays a crucial role in various functions, including taste, speech, and swallowing. It is divided into two parts: the oral part at the front and the pharyngeal part at the back. The tongue's movement is made possible by several muscles, including the genioglossus muscle, which is responsible for protruding the tongue.
The genioglossus muscle is a large and thick muscle that significantly contributes to the shape of the tongue. It arises from the mandibular symphysis and inserts onto the body of the hyoid bone and the entire length of the tongue. Its primary function is protrusion, commonly known as "sticking out the tongue," and depression of the tongue.
The genioglossus muscle is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue, along with the hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. These extrinsic muscles originate from bone and extend to the tongue, altering the tongue's position to allow for movements such as protrusion, retraction, and side-to-side motions. The genioglossus muscle, in particular, is responsible for protruding the tongue forward, earning it the nickname "the tongue's safety muscle."
The movement of the genioglossus muscle, along with the other tongue muscles, is controlled by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). This nerve provides motor innervation to the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue, enabling essential functions such as speech, swallowing, and moving substances around in the mouth. Damage to the hypoglossal nerve can lead to muscle weakness and difficulties in tongue movement, affecting speech and mastication capabilities.
In summary, the genioglossus muscle is responsible for protruding the tongue and plays a crucial role in shaping the tongue and facilitating essential functions such as speech and swallowing. Its movement is controlled by the hypoglossal nerve, highlighting the complex coordination between muscles and nerves in the human body.
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The hyoglossus muscle pulls the tongue back and flattens it
The tongue is a muscle that is used for speaking, swallowing, and moving substances around in the mouth. The hypoglossal nerve, or cranial nerve 12, helps control the tongue. It originates in the hypoglossal nucleus in the lower part of the medulla and travels downward between the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein. Once outside the skull, it passes around the hyoid bone and runs along the hyoglossus muscle in the floor of the mouth.
The hyoid bone is where the hyoglossus muscle arises from and attaches to the side of the tongue. The hyoglossus muscle pulls the tongue back and down, and it also flattens the tongue. The hyoglossus muscle is located in the floor of the oral cavity, immediately lateral to the geniohyoid. The hypoglossal nerve innervates the hyoglossus muscle.
The hypoglossal nerve controls most tongue actions necessary for eating and speaking. The tongue moves food around the mouth with the help of the buccinator muscle, mixes it with saliva, and helps to separate undesired particles. It also enables the formation of the food bolus in the oral preparatory phase of swallowing. It also takes part in the oral phase of swallowing by elevating and sweeping posteriorly to propel the food bolus past the anterior tonsillar pillar, triggering the swallowing reflex.
The hypoglossal nerve is a paired nerve, and humans have two of them: left and right. Together, they control the muscles of the tongue. The hypoglossal nerve is also known as the 12th cranial nerve. It is chiefly a motor nerve and carries motor fibers that control muscles. It does have some sympathetic fibers that supply the blood vessels of the tongue and some glands in the mouth.
The intrinsic muscles originate and attach to other structures within the tongue. There are four paired intrinsic muscles of the tongue, and they are named by the direction in which they travel: the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles of the tongue. These muscles affect the shape and size of the tongue, for example, in tongue rolling, and have a role in facilitating speech, eating, and swallowing. The motor innervation to the intrinsic muscles of the tongue is via the hypoglossal nerve.
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The styloglossus muscle moves the tongue up and down
The styloglossus muscle originates from the styloid process of the temporal bone and inserts onto the lateral aspect of the tongue. This muscle is responsible for the retraction and elevation of the tongue. It works in conjunction with other muscles to facilitate essential functions such as swallowing and speaking.
The genioglossus muscle, also known as the tongue's "safety muscle," arises from the mandible and enables the tongue to protrude or stick out. It contributes significantly to the shape of the tongue and plays a crucial role in tongue movements. The hyoglossus muscle, on the other hand, arises from the hyoid bone and is responsible for depressing and retracting the tongue. It is located in the floor of the oral cavity, immediately lateral to the geniohyoid.
The palatoglossus muscle is unique among the four extrinsic muscles as it is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve but rather by the vagus nerve. It arises from the palatine aponeurosis and has several important functions. These include depressing the soft palate, moving the palatoglossal fold towards the midline, and elevating the back of the tongue during swallowing.
The styloglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, which is one of 12 paired cranial nerves. This nerve enables tongue movement and controls several muscles, including the styloglossus, genioglossus, hyoglossus, and intrinsic muscles. The hypoglossal nerve starts at the base of the brain and travels down the neck, branching out to reach the base and underside of the tongue. It plays a vital role in allowing us to speak, swallow, and move substances around in our mouths.
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The palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior tongue
The tongue is a muscular structure that plays a crucial role in various functions, including speech, mastication (chewing), and deglutition (swallowing). The movement and shape of the tongue is made possible by several muscles, including both intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles originate and attach to structures within the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles originate from structures outside the tongue and insert onto it.
One of the extrinsic muscles of the tongue is the palatoglossus muscle. This muscle is involved in coordinating the actions of the tongue and the soft palate. Specifically, the palatoglossus muscle functions to elevate the posterior portion of the tongue and draw the soft palate inferiorly, or downward. This action plays a significant role during swallowing by propelling food toward the oesophagus and preventing retrograde flow. Additionally, it helps to prevent the spillage of saliva from the vestibular region into the oropharyngeal region by maintaining the palatoglossal arch.
The palatoglossus muscle arises from the palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate and inserts onto the side of the tongue. Some of its fibres extend over the dorsum of the tongue, while others intermingle with the transverse muscle of the tongue. This muscle is unique in that it is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) like most other tongue muscles. Instead, it receives innervation from the vagus nerve (CN X) via branches of the pharyngeal plexus.
The function of the palatoglossus muscle in elevating the posterior tongue is particularly important in certain clinical contexts. For example, in individuals with obstructive sleep apnoea, electrical stimulation of the nerve to the palatoglossus muscle has been shown to aid in reducing the burden of the condition. This stimulation causes a forward movement of the tongue base, which may result in the advancement of the palate and an increase in the retropalatal space.
In summary, the palatoglossus muscle is an extrinsic muscle of the tongue that plays a crucial role in tongue function, particularly during swallowing. Its primary action is to elevate the posterior tongue and draw the soft palate downward, working in conjunction with other muscles to coordinate the complex movements necessary for speech, chewing, and swallowing.
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The superior longitudinal muscle shortens and broadens the tongue
The superior longitudinal muscle is one of the intrinsic muscles of the tongue. These muscles originate and attach to other structures within the tongue. The superior longitudinal muscle sits just below the mucosa of the dorsal aspect of the tongue, forming a thin layer across the tongue's dorsum. It extends from the epiglottic region to the tip of the tongue and from the lingual septum to the tongue's lateral margins.
The superior longitudinal muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). The hypoglossal nerve provides motor innervation to all of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue, except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X). The hypoglossal nerve also facilitates speech, eating, and swallowing.
The tongue's blood supply comes predominantly from the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. The deep lingual artery, which is the termination of the lingual artery, supplies the apex of the tongue. The lingual vein is responsible for venous drainage.
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Frequently asked questions
The genioglossus muscle is a large, thick muscle that contributes significantly to the shape of the tongue. Its functions include protrusion, also known as "sticking the tongue out", and depression of the tongue.
The hyoglossus muscle is located in the floor of the oral cavity. Its functions include depression and retraction of the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle is a thin, paired muscle, located on either side of the oropharynx. Its functions include retraction and elevation of the tongue.
