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The human tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth that is involved in mastication, speech, and deglutition. The tongue has four intrinsic muscles that alter its shape and four extrinsic muscles that change its position. The extrinsic muscles responsible for elevating the tongue include the styloglossus, palatoglossus, and genioglossus. The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margin, while the palatoglossus elevates the posterior tongue. The genioglossus muscle protrudes the tongue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of muscles in the tongue | 8 |
| Groups of muscles | Intrinsic and extrinsic |
| Number of intrinsic muscles | 4 |
| Function of intrinsic muscles | Change the shape of the tongue |
| Number of extrinsic muscles | 4 |
| Function of extrinsic muscles | Change the position of the tongue |
| Muscles responsible for elevating the tongue | Styloglossus, palatoglossus, superior longitudinal muscle |
| Muscles responsible for depressing the tongue | Hyoglossus, inferior longitudinal muscle |
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What You'll Learn
The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margin
The styloglossus muscle is a thin stripe-shaped muscle that originates from the anterolateral aspect of the styloid process of the temporal bone and the nearby stylomandibular ligament. It passes through the oropharyngeal triangle to reach the tongue and insert into its posterolateral aspects. The styloglossus muscle is one of four pairs of extrinsic muscles of the tongue, which also include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. These extrinsic muscles produce movements that the intrinsic muscles cannot, such as protrusion, retraction, retrusion, depression, and elevation of the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle is responsible for retruding and retracting the tongue, as well as elevating its lateral margins. This elevation of the tongue's sides creates a trough, which is essential for the process of swallowing. The contraction of the styloglossus muscle results in the retrusion of the tongue and the elevation of its lateral margin. It is the shortest and smallest of the three styloid muscles.
The four intrinsic muscles of the tongue, on the other hand, control the shortening, concaving (turning the tip and lateral margins upward), narrowing, elongating, and flattening of the tongue. These muscles include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. They affect the shape and size of the tongue, such as in tongue rolling, and play a role in speech, eating, and swallowing.
The styloglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), which carries motor fibres to the intrinsic tongue muscles and other muscles like the thyrohyoid, hyoglossus, genioglossus, and geniohyoid. The hypoglossal nerve innervates the muscles responsible for all tongue movements, including the four intrinsic and four extrinsic muscles mentioned earlier. However, it is important to note that the palatoglossus muscle is an exception, as it is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X).
In summary, the styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margin through its contraction, contributing to the complex movements of the tongue that are essential for functions such as swallowing and speech. This muscle works in coordination with the other intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue, allowing for a wide range of tongue movements and positions.
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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 mastication (chewing), speech, and deglutition (swallowing). The palatoglossus muscle is one of the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue, originating from the anterior region of the soft palate and inserting into the tongue's lateral borders.
The palatoglossus muscle, also known as musculus palatoglossus, is responsible for elevating the posterior tongue. This muscle contracts to lift the back portion of the tongue, closing the oropharyngeal isthmus and aiding in the initiation of swallowing. It works in conjunction with other muscles, such as the palatopharyngeus muscle, to elevate the velar region and facilitate velar positioning.
The palatoglossus muscle also plays a significant role in preventing the spillage of saliva from the vestibule into the oropharynx by maintaining the palatoglossal arch. This arch is formed by the muscle itself, creating a visible ridge in the lateral pharyngeal wall. The palatoglossus muscle is unique among the tongue muscles as it is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X) rather than the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Variations in the attachment region of the palatoglossus muscle have been observed in different individuals. In some cases, the attachment area may be near the uvula, which can limit the muscle's ability to elevate the tongue due to the lack of a rigid anchoring point. However, this variation facilitates the lowering of the soft palate, demonstrating the complex interplay between muscle attachments and their functional implications.
The palatoglossus muscle is also implicated in certain medical conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnoea. Studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the nerve supplying this muscle can help reduce the burden of OSA by dilating the retropalatal space and facilitating forward movement of the tongue base. This highlights the clinical significance of understanding the anatomy and functions of the palatoglossus muscle.
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The genioglossus muscle protrudes the tongue
The genioglossus muscle is one of four extrinsic muscles of the tongue, along with the hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. It is a thick, fan-shaped muscle that constitutes the bulk of the tongue. The genioglossus muscle originates from the superior mental spine of the mandible, above the origin of the geniohyoid. Its insertion is broader, with its inferior fibres inserting onto the body of the hyoid bone and superior fibres inserting along the entire length of the dorsum of the tongue.
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. Bilateral contraction of the genioglossus depresses and protrudes the tongue, while unilateral contraction deviates the tongue contralaterally.
Contraction of the genioglossus stabilises and enlarges the portion of the upper airway that is most vulnerable to collapse. Relaxation of the genioglossus and geniohyoideus muscles, especially during REM sleep, is implicated in obstructive sleep apnea. Given this connection, the mandible can be pulled forward to maximise airway space and prevent the tongue from sinking backward under anaesthesia, thus obstructing the airway.
The genioglossus is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, as are all muscles of the tongue, except for the palatoglossus, which is innervated by the vagus nerve. The hypoglossal nerve provides motor innervation to all the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue, except for the palatoglossus.
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The superior longitudinal muscle curls the tongue upward
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It is divided into two parts: an oral part at the front and a pharyngeal part at the back. The tongue's upper surface, or dorsum, is covered in taste buds and is kept moist by saliva. It is also richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels.
The tongue has two groups of glossal muscles: the intrinsic muscles and the extrinsic muscles. The four intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue and are not attached to bone. These include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. The superior longitudinal muscle runs along the upper surface of the tongue under the mucous membrane and functions to shorten and curl the tongue upward. This muscle shortens and widens the tongue, facilitating tongue rolling and other movements essential for mastication, speech, and deglutition (swallowing).
The four extrinsic muscles change the position of the tongue and are anchored to bone. These include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. The styloglossus muscle, for example, retrudes the tongue and elevates its lateral margins. The palatoglossus muscle, meanwhile, elevates the posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, and aids in the initiation of swallowing.
Overall, the muscles of the tongue work together to produce movements essential for chewing, speaking, and swallowing. They are all innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is innervated by the vagus nerve.
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The vertical muscle flattens the tongue
The human tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth that plays a crucial role in various functions, including mastication (chewing), swallowing, and speech. The tongue has two parts: the oral part at the front and the pharyngeal part at the back. It is separated along its length by a vertical section of fibrous tissue called the lingual septum, which results in a groove called the median sulcus.
The tongue is composed of several muscles that work together to produce essential movements. These muscles can be classified as either intrinsic or extrinsic. The four intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue and are not attached to any bone. They are named according to the direction in which they travel: the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles.
The vertical muscle, specifically, functions to flatten the tongue. It is located in the middle of the tongue, joining the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles. This muscle facilitates flattening and widening movements of the tongue, which are necessary for various functions such as chewing, swallowing, and speech.
The vertical muscle is one of the intrinsic muscles that originate and attach to other structures within the tongue. These intrinsic muscles affect the tongue's shape and size, enabling movements like tongue rolling. They also play a crucial role in facilitating speech, eating, and swallowing. The motor innervation to these intrinsic muscles is provided by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
In contrast, the extrinsic muscles of the tongue originate from structures outside the tongue and insert onto it. They are responsible for changing the tongue's position and are anchored to bone. The four extrinsic muscles, including the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus, enable movements such as protrusion, retraction, retrusion, depression, and elevation. These muscles produce actions that the intrinsic muscles cannot, demonstrating the complex coordination of the tongue's muscular system.
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Frequently asked questions
There are four extrinsic muscles that elevate the tongue: the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus.
The genioglossus muscle protrudes the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle retrudes the tongue and elevates its lateral margins.
The hyoglossus muscle retrudes the tongue and depresses its lateral margins.
The palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, and aids in the initiation of swallowing.
