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The tongue is a muscular organ located in the mouth and is essential for chewing, swallowing, speaking, and breathing. It is separated medially into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum. The muscles of the tongue consist primarily of two groups of muscles: the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles attach the tongue to external regions and include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. The intrinsic muscles, on the other hand, attach within the tongue and change its shape. They include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. These muscles work together to produce movements essential for various functions, such as sticking the tongue out, depressing and retracting it, and elevating the tongue root.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle groups | Intrinsic and extrinsic |
| Number of intrinsic muscles | 4 pairs |
| Function of intrinsic muscles | Alter the shape of the tongue |
| Innervation of intrinsic muscles | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
| Number of extrinsic muscles | 4 |
| Function of extrinsic muscles | Alter the position of the tongue |
| Innervation of extrinsic muscles | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is supplied by the vagus nerve (CN X) |
| Extrinsic muscles | Genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus |
| Genioglossus function | Protrusion and depression of the tongue |
| Hyoglossus function | Depression and retraction of the tongue |
| Styloglossus function | Retraction and elevation of the tongue |
| Palatoglossus function | Closes off the oral cavity from the oropharynx by elevating the tongue root to make contact with the palatoglossal arch |
| Tongue movement issues | May be caused by nerve damage, tongue-tie (ankyloglossia), or frenum that is too short |
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What You'll Learn
The genioglossus muscle allows the tongue to stick out
The tongue is a muscular organ situated in the mouth. It is responsible for several essential functions, including taste, chewing, swallowing, and speech. The tongue is separated into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum. The muscles of the tongue are divided into two groups: intrinsic and extrinsic muscles.
The intrinsic muscles originate and attach to other structures within the tongue. They are responsible for altering the shape of the tongue, facilitating essential functions such as chewing, speech, and swallowing. These muscles include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles.
The extrinsic muscles, on the other hand, originate from structures outside the tongue and insert onto it. They are responsible for altering the position of the tongue. One of the key extrinsic muscles is the genioglossus muscle, which is the focus of this discussion.
The genioglossus muscle is a large and thick extrinsic 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. This muscle is responsible for protrusion, commonly known as "sticking the tongue out," and depression of the tongue. The hyoid bone, to which the genioglossus muscle attaches, is located in the middle of the neck, providing an anchor point for the tongue within the mouth.
The genioglossus muscle plays a crucial role in tongue movement and function. Its ability to protrude the tongue is essential for various activities, including eating, speaking, and facial expressions. Additionally, the genioglossus muscle is involved in airway dilation, and its proper function is vital for maintaining respiratory health. Any damage or pathology affecting the genioglossus muscle, such as oral cavity issues or systemic diseases, can impact its ability to function correctly and may require myofunctional therapy for restoration.
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The hyoglossus muscle depresses the tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ situated in the oral cavity, with rich motor and sensory innervation. It is separated medially into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum. The tongue is made up of both intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles originate and attach to other structures within the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles originate outside the tongue and insert onto it.
The hyoglossus muscle is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a quadrilateral muscle that originates along the whole length of the hyoid bone and inserts into the side of the tongue. The hyoid bone is located in the floor of the oral cavity, immediately lateral to the geniohyoid. The hyoglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). Its blood supply is comprised mainly through the sublingual branch of the lingual artery, with additional supply from the submental branch of the facial artery.
The main action of the hyoglossus muscle is to depress and retract the tongue. This action of tongue base retraction plays a key role during normal physiological swallowing as it aids bolus propulsion. This control of tongue movement also plays a role in the articulation of speech. The hyoglossus works together with the genioglossus muscle to depress and retract the tongue. Their synchronous activity with respiration correlates with increases in pharyngeal airway size during breathing. Hypoxia, hypercapnia, and airway occlusion cause parallel increases in electrical activity in the protrudor and retractor muscles of the tongue, consistently inducing net retraction and depression of the tongue, improved airflow function, and enhanced pharyngeal stability.
The hyoglossus muscle is also involved in suction feeding, where it depresses the hyoid complex and the floor of the mouth, creating a negative pressure that draws water and prey into the mouth. This action is observed in various species, including horses, where tongue depression may be critical for dilating and stabilizing the nasopharynx.
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The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ situated in the oral cavity, and it has two groups of muscles associated with it. The first group comprises the muscles that make up the core of the tongue and are placed within it; these are called the intrinsic muscles. The second group comprises the muscles that are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it and help it perform its function; these are called the extrinsic muscles.
The styloglossus muscle is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a thin, paired muscle, located on either side of the oropharynx. The styloglossus muscle originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone and inserts onto the side of the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle is also involved in retraction of the tongue. By contracting, the styloglossus muscle retracts the tongue and elevates its lateral aspects. Acting bilaterally, with both styloglossus muscles contracting simultaneously, they aid in retracting the tongue.
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The palatoglossus muscle closes off the oral cavity
The tongue is a muscular organ located in the mouth, and it has several functions, including tasting, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and clearing the oral cavity. The tongue is separated medially into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum. The muscles of the tongue are divided into two groups: the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles attach the tongue to external regions, while the intrinsic muscles attach within the tongue and change its shape.
The palatoglossus muscle is one of the extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It originates from the palatine aponeurosis and inserts broadly along the tongue, with some of its fibers inserting deeply to mesh with the intrinsic transverse muscle. The palatoglossus muscle is also associated with the soft palate and is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X), unlike the other extrinsic muscles, which are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
The function of the palatoglossus muscle is to close off the oral cavity from the oropharynx by elevating the tongue root to make contact with the palatoglossal arch. This muscle works together with the other extrinsic muscles of the tongue, which include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, and styloglossus muscles. These muscles help to alter the position of the tongue and facilitate its functions.
The genioglossus muscle is a large, thick muscle that contributes significantly 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. This muscle is responsible for protrusion, or "sticking the tongue out," and depression of the tongue. The hyoglossus muscle, on the other hand, is located in the floor of the oral cavity and is responsible for depressing and retracting the tongue. It arises from the hyoid bone and inserts onto the lateral aspect of the tongue. The styloglossus muscle is a thin, paired muscle located on either side of the oropharynx, and it allows the tongue to be retracted and elevated.
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Tongue movement issues are often due to nerve damage
The tongue is a muscular organ situated in the oral cavity, and its main functions include tasting, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and clearing the oral cavity. The tongue is separated medially into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum. There are two groups of muscles associated with the tongue: the intrinsic muscles and the extrinsic muscles. The former is placed within the tongue and alters its shape, while the latter is outside the tongue but functionally associated with it, helping it perform its function and altering its position.
The hypoglossal nerve, or cranial nerve 12, helps control the tongue. It carries signals to and from the brain to control muscle movement. It controls the hyoglossus, intrinsic, genioglossus, and styloglossus muscles. These muscles help with speaking, swallowing, and moving substances around in the mouth. The hypoglossal nerve starts at the base of the brain near the top of the spinal cord (brainstem) and travels down the spinal cord to the cervical plexus.
Damage to the hypoglossal nerve can occur at the hypoglossal nucleus, above the hypoglossal nucleus (supranuclear), or be interrupted at the motor axons (infranuclear). Supranuclear lesions commonly result from strokes but can also be caused by pseudobulbar palsy. Infranuclear and nuclear lesions cause weakness of the tongue and ipsilateral atrophy.
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Frequently asked questions
The tongue is a muscular organ located in the mouth and is made up of extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus. The intrinsic muscles include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles.
The genioglossus muscle is a large, thick muscle that contributes to the shape of the tongue. It allows the tongue to stick out of the mouth and is responsible for airway dilation.
The hyoglossus muscle depresses and retracts the tongue. The styloglossus muscle retracts and elevates the tongue. The palatoglossus muscle closes off the oral cavity from the oropharynx by elevating the tongue root.
