Lingual Muscles: Where Are They Located?

The lingual muscles are the muscles of the tongue, which is a predominantly muscular organ. The tongue is divided into two halves by a connective septum, the lingual septum, and its muscles are also divided into two groups: the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The four intrinsic muscles are not attached to bone and alter the shape of the tongue. They are the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse and vertical muscles. The four extrinsic muscles are anchored to bone and change the position of the tongue. They are the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus and the palatoglossus muscles.

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The tongue is a muscular organ

The muscles that make up the tongue are paired, with each muscle from a pair related to one half of the tongue. There are two groups of muscles associated with the tongue: the intrinsic muscles and the extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles comprise the core of the tongue and are placed within it. They include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. Their main function is altering the shape of the tongue, which is essential for speaking. The superior longitudinal muscle shortens and widens the tongue and curls it upward (dorsiflexion), while the inferior longitudinal muscle shortens and widens the tongue and curls it downward (ventroflexion). The transverse muscles cause the tongue to narrow and elongate. The vertical muscles facilitate flattening and widening of the tongue.

The extrinsic muscles are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it and help it perform its function. They include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. Their main function is altering the position of the tongue. The genioglossus muscle is a large, thick muscle that contributes significantly to the shape of the tongue and enables protrusion and depression of the tongue. The hyoglossus muscle results in retrusion and depression of the tongue's lateral margin. The styloglossus muscle is more lateral than the other tongue muscles, and its contraction results in retrusion of the tongue and elevation of the tongue's lateral margin. The palatoglossus muscle is the only extrinsic muscle of the tongue that is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve but by the vagus nerve. Its contraction elevates the posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, aids in the initiation of swallowing, and prevents the spill of saliva from the vestibule into the oropharynx by maintaining the palatoglossal arch.

The hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) 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 lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular nerve CN V3) and glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) enable general sensory innervation of the tongue. The lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery, provides arterial supply to the tongue. Venous drainage is done by the lingual vein, which empties into the internal jugular vein.

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Intrinsic and extrinsic muscles

The tongue is a muscular organ composed of two groups of muscles. The intrinsic muscles are the core of the tongue and are placed within it. They are not attached to bone and their main function is to alter the shape of the tongue. They include the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles.

The extrinsic muscles are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it. They are attached to bone and their main function is to alter the position of the tongue. They include the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus muscles. The genioglossus muscle is fan-shaped and originates from the superior mental spine on the posterior mandibular surface. It protrudes the tongue outside of the mouth. The hyoglossus muscle is quadrangular and originates from the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone. It retracts and depresses the tongue. The styloglossus muscle arises from the styloid process of the temporal bone and draws the sides of the tongue up to create a trough for swallowing. The palatoglossus muscle arises from the palatine aponeurosis and inserts across the tongue, elevating the posterior portion.

The tongue is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is supplied by the vagus nerve (CN X). The hypoglossal nerve provides motor innervation to the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, allowing them to carry out functions related to speech, eating, and swallowing. The tongue receives its blood supply from the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. The lingual artery passes deep to the hyoglossus muscle and gives rise to several arteries that supply the muscles of the tongue and surrounding areas.

The tongue is divided into two parts: the oral part at the front and the pharyngeal part at the front. These two parts are separated along their length by the lingual septum, a vertical section of fibrous tissue that results in a groove called the median sulcus on the tongue's surface. The oral part of the tongue is supplied by the lingual nerve for somatosensory perception and by the chorda tympani for taste perception. The pharyngeal part is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve.

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Innervation and vasculature

The tongue is a muscular organ with some fatty and fibrous tissue distributed throughout its substance. All the muscles of the tongue are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), except for the palatoglossus muscle, which is supplied by the vagus nerve (CN X). The hypoglossal nerve provides motor innervation to all of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue.

The lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3), provides sensory innervation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. The lingual nerve is located deep and medial to the hyoglossus muscle and is associated with the submandibular ganglion. Taste in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue is supplied by the chorda tympani nerve, a branch of the facial nerve (CN VII). The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) supplies the posterior one-third of the tongue.

The blood supply to the tongue comes predominantly from the lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery. The lingual artery arises from the external carotid artery at the tip of the hyoid bone's greater horn, between the facial and superior thyroid arteries. After branching from the external carotid artery, the lingual artery passes deep to the hyoglossus muscle and superficial to the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle. The deep lingual artery, which is the termination of the lingual artery, passes between the genioglossus muscle and inferior longitudinal muscle, supplying the apex of the tongue. The sublingual artery branches at the anterior border of the hyoglossus muscle before passing between the genioglossus muscle and mylohyoid muscle to the sublingual gland. It also provides blood supply to the genioglossus, geniohyoid, and the gingival mucosa of the mandible.

Venous drainage is done by the lingual vein, which empties into the internal jugular vein. The sublingual and submental veins drain into the lingual and facial veins, respectively, which then drain into the internal jugular vein. The lymphatic vessels from the body of the tongue are divided into marginal and central. The marginal vessels drain the tongue's apex, marginal surface, and sublingual region into the submental and submandibular nodes. The central vessels are located at the tip of the tongue, travel through the mylohyoid muscle, and drain into the jugulo-omohyoid or jugulodigastric nodes.

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Functions of the tongue

The tongue is a pinkish muscular organ present within the oral cavity of the mouth. It extends from the hyoid bone in the centre of the neck to the floor of the mouth. The average human tongue length is about 10 cm, with the average male tongue measuring 3.3 inches and the average female tongue measuring 3.1 inches.

The tongue is made up of two groups of muscles. 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, and their main function is altering the shape of the tongue. The superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse and vertical muscles are all intrinsic muscles. The transverse muscles, for example, cause the tongue to narrow and elongate when contracted. The vertical muscles facilitate flattening and widening of the tongue.

The second group comprises the muscles that are outside the tongue but are functionally associated with it and help it perform its function. They are called the extrinsic muscles, and their main function is altering the position of the tongue. The genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus and the palatoglossus muscles are all extrinsic muscles. The genioglossus muscle, for instance, depresses the central part of the tongue, creates a longitudinal furrow and protrudes the tongue outside of the mouth when contracted bilaterally.

The tongue has several functions. Firstly, it is heavily embedded with taste buds, which allow it to differentiate between flavours such as sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Secondly, the tongue's agility helps in articulating sounds for speech production. Thirdly, the tongue aids the natural tooth-cleaning process. Finally, the tongue helps with the chewing and swallowing of food by moving the bolus posteriorly into the oropharyngeal inlet.

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Tongue shape and size

The tongue is a muscular organ located in the mouth and is made up of eight muscles, divided into two groups: the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles are the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. These muscles are responsible for altering the tongue's shape by lengthening and shortening it, curling and uncurling its apex and edges, flattening and rounding its surface, and facilitating swallowing and eating. They are not attached to any bone. The extrinsic muscles are the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus. These muscles change the tongue's position, allowing for protrusion, retraction, and side-to-side movement. They are anchored to bone.

The tongue has a complex shape and curvature, and its surface is covered in papillae (bumps) and taste buds. The dorsal surface of the tongue, or the dorsum, is the upper surface and is divided by a groove into symmetrical halves. The dorsal surface is more susceptible to desiccation and abrasions from food and drink. It is covered in raised structures called lingual papillae, which give it a rough appearance. The ventral surface, on the other hand, does not have these structures and is relatively well-protected.

The tongue is separated into left and right halves by a vertical section of fibrous tissue called the lingual septum, which runs along most of the tongue's length. The anterior oral part of the tongue is the visible front section, making up about two-thirds of its length. It is supplied by the lingual nerve for somatosensory perception and by the chorda tympani for taste perception. The posterior pharyngeal part is closer to the throat and makes up about one-third of the tongue's length. It is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve.

The tongue's shape and size can vary due to certain conditions. For example, geographic tongue, or benign migratory glossitis, is characterised by large red patches with a greyish-white border on the dorsum. Ludwig angina infection can cause the tongue to enlarge to two or three times its usual size. Additionally, nerve damage can result in weak or paralysed tongue muscles, leading to movement difficulties.

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