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The genioglossus is a fan-shaped extrinsic muscle of the tongue that originates within the median plane of the tongue and attaches to the oral surface of the mandible. The name is derived from the Greek words geneion meaning chin and glossa meaning tongue. The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve and supplied blood by the sublingual branch of the lingual artery. Its contraction protrudes the tongue and pulls the basihyoid bone rostrally, opening the oral cavity and oropharynx.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name origin | From the Greek words geneion (chin) and glossa (tongue) |
| Type | One of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue |
| Shape | Fan-shaped |
| Innervation | Hypoglossal nerve |
| Blood supply | Sublingual branch of the lingual artery |
| Function | Protrudes the tongue and deviates it towards the opposite side; stabilizes and enlarges the portion of the upper airway |
| Related pathologies | Obstructive sleep apnea |
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What You'll Learn
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve
The genioglossus is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a large, thick muscle that contributes significantly to the shape of the tongue. The genioglossus muscle arises from the mandibular symphysis and inserts onto the body of the hyoid bone and the entire length of the tongue. Its function is to protrude the tongue (i.e., "stick out the tongue") and depress the centre of the tongue at its back.
The genioglossus muscle plays a crucial role in stabilising and enlarging the upper airway. Contraction of the genioglossus muscle prevents the collapse of the airway, especially during sleep. Relaxation of the genioglossus muscle, as observed in obstructive sleep apnea, can lead to airway obstruction. Thus, the genioglossus muscle is essential for maintaining a patent airway and facilitating breathing.
The genioglossus muscle can also be used as a clinical test to assess the function of the hypoglossal nerve. By asking a patient to stick out their tongue, peripheral damage to the hypoglossal nerve can be detected. If the tongue deviates to one side, it suggests injury to the hypoglossal nerve on the same side. However, if the tongue protrudes directly forward without deviation, it indicates that the hypoglossal nerves are likely intact.
In summary, the genioglossus muscle, one of the extrinsic muscles of the tongue, is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve. It plays a vital role in tongue movement, airway maintenance, and providing sensory information. Assessment of the genioglossus muscle function is valuable in evaluating potential damage to the hypoglossal nerve.
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It originates at the medial surface of the mandible
The genioglossus is a fan-shaped extrinsic muscle of the tongue. The name is derived from the Greek words "geneion" (meaning "chin") and "glossa" (meaning "tongue"). It is the largest airway dilator muscle and its function is to pull the posterior portion of the tongue forward, away from the posterior airway wall. This action helps to stabilise and enlarge the portion of the upper airway that is most vulnerable to collapse.
The genioglossus muscle originates at the medial surface of the mandible, near the mandible's symphysis. The muscle then attaches to the centre of the tongue, extending along its lateral surface. Some of the ventral fibres are continuous with those of the geniohyoid muscle.
The exact origin point of the genioglossus muscle is near the origin of the geniohyoid muscle, which is a fusiform, paired muscle that lies on the ventral surface of the tongue. The geniohyoid originates from the medial surface of the mandible, caudal to the symphysis, and inserts on the basihyoid bone.
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, as are all muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus. Blood is supplied to the sublingual branch of the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery.
Contraction of the genioglossus muscle results in protrusion of the tongue and deviation to one side. When both left and right genioglossus muscles contract together, the tongue is protruded directly forward and the centre of the tongue is depressed. This action of the genioglossus muscle helps to maximise airway space, which is particularly important during anaesthesia to prevent the tongue from obstructing the airway.
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It attaches to the centre of the tongue
The genioglossus is a fan-shaped extrinsic tongue muscle that attaches to the centre of the tongue and extends along its lateral surface. The name is derived from the Greek words "geneion" meaning "chin" and "glossa" meaning "tongue". It is the largest airway dilator muscle and its activity is relatively easy to record. The genioglossus has been shown to have elevated activity in patients with OSA compared to healthy controls, particularly during wakefulness. Its contraction stabilises and enlarges the portion of the upper airway that is most vulnerable to collapse.
The genioglossus muscle originates at the medial surface of the mandible near the symphysis. According to its origin near the mandible's symphysis, this muscle may pull the tongue rostrally and ventrally, thus opening the oral cavity and oropharynx. The insertion is primarily along the ventral median raphe of the tongue, but further caudally some fibres extend dorsolaterally over the oesophagus and are continuous with the palatoglossus muscle.
The left and right genioglossus muscles protrude the tongue (anteriorly, out of the mouth) and deviate it towards the opposite side. When acting together, the muscles protrude the tongue directly forward and depress the centre of the tongue at its back. Contraction of the genioglossus muscle also protracts the tongue and pulls the basihyoid bone rostrally.
In dogs and humans, ventral displacement of the basihyoid bone results in an increase in the nasopharynx diameter. This was once thought to be the case in horses, which led to the practice of tongue-tying in racing horses. However, recent studies using computed tomographic imaging have disproved this hypothesis.
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It pulls the tongue forward and protrudes it
The genioglossus muscle is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It attaches to the centre of the tongue and extends along its lateral surface. The muscle originates at the medial surface of the mandible near the symphysis. The genioglossus muscle pulls the tongue forward and protrudes it. This action stabilises and enlarges the portion of the upper airway that is most vulnerable to collapse.
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, and blood is supplied to it by the sublingual branch of the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. When the left and right genioglossus muscles contract together, they protrude the tongue directly forward and depress the centre of the tongue at its back. This action of the genioglossus muscle is important for maintaining a clear airway.
The tongue is a highly mobile muscular organ, consisting of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The genioglossus is one of the extrinsic muscles, along with the hyoglossus and styloglossus. These muscles anchor the tongue to the mandible and hyoid apparatus. The genioglossus muscle is the largest of these airway dilator muscles, and its activity has been shown to be elevated in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared to healthy individuals, particularly during wakefulness.
The contraction of the genioglossus muscle not only protrudes the tongue but also pulls the basihyoid bone rostrally. This action was once thought to increase the nasopharyngeal diameter and improve airway patency in horses, leading to the use of tongue-ties in racing horses. However, recent studies using computed tomographic imaging have disproved this hypothesis, showing no measurable improvement in nasopharyngeal diameter when using a tongue-tie.
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It is one of four extrinsic muscles of the tongue
The genioglossus is one of four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. The name derives from the Greek words "geneion" (meaning "chin") and "glossa" (meaning "tongue"). It is a fan-shaped muscle that originates within the median plane of the tongue and attaches to the oral surface of the mandible. The genioglossus muscle plays a crucial role in protruding the tongue and deviating it to the opposite side. When both left and right genioglossus muscles contract, they work together to protrude the tongue forward while depressing its centre at the back.
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, which supplies motor function to the tongue. This muscle is responsible for stabilising and enlarging the upper airway, particularly the portion that is most susceptible to collapse. Its contraction helps to maintain and increase the diameter of the nasopharynx, contributing to improved airway patency. This is achieved by pulling the posterior portion of the tongue forward and away from the posterior airway wall.
The genioglossus muscle has been a focus of research, especially in the context of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Studies have found elevated activity in the genioglossus muscle among patients with OSA during wakefulness. Additionally, relaxation of this muscle during REM sleep has been implicated in the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea.
The genioglossus muscle's connection to the mandible allows for the forward protrusion of the tongue. This muscle's origin near the mandible's symphysis enables it to pull the tongue rostrally and ventrally, facilitating the opening of the oral cavity and oropharynx. The insertion of the genioglossus muscle primarily occurs along the ventral median raphe of the tongue, with some fibres extending dorsolaterally over the oesophagus.
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Frequently asked questions
The genioglossus is a fan-shaped extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It is the largest airway dilator muscle.
The genioglossus attaches to the center of the tongue and extends along its lateral surface. It originates at the medial surface of the mandible near the symphysis.
The genioglossus muscle protrudes the tongue and pulls the basihyoid bone rostrally. Contraction of the genioglossus stabilizes and enlarges the portion of the upper airway that is most vulnerable to collapse.
