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The tongue is a muscular organ that plays a crucial role in various functions, including mastication, speech, and swallowing. It is composed of both intrinsic and extrinsic muscles that work together to produce a wide range of movements. While the intrinsic muscles originate and attach to structures within the tongue, the extrinsic muscles, such as the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus, originate from structures outside the tongue and insert into it. These extrinsic muscles are responsible for movements that the intrinsic muscles cannot perform, such as protrusion, retraction, depression, and, most importantly for this discussion, elevation. So, which muscle is responsible for elevating the tongue?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle that elevates the posterior tongue | Palatoglossus |
| Muscle that elevates the tongue's lateral margin | Styloglossus |
| Innervation of the palatoglossus muscle | Vagus nerve (CN X) |
| Innervation of the styloglossus muscle | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
| Innervation of the genioglossus muscle | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
| Innervation of the hyoglossus muscle | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
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What You'll Learn
The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margin
The styloglossus muscle is a bilaterally paired extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone and inserts onto the side of the tongue. The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margin and draws the tongue upward and backward. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
The styloglossus muscle is the shortest and smallest of the three styloid muscles. It arises from the anterior and lateral surfaces of the styloid process of the temporal bone near its apex, and from the stylomandibular ligament. It passes anterioinferiorly from its origin to its insertion between the internal carotid artery and the external carotid artery, and between the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle.
The styloglossus muscle is more lateral than the other tongue muscles. Its contraction results in retrusion of the tongue, and it also elevates the tongue's lateral margin. Acting bilaterally, the styloglossus muscles contract simultaneously to aid in retracting the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle is one of four extrinsic muscles of the tongue, the others being the genioglossus, hyoglossus, and palatoglossus. These muscles produce movements of the tongue that the intrinsic muscles cannot, such as protrusion, retraction, depression, and elevation. The styloglossus muscle blends with the fibres of the inferior longitudinal muscle, while the oblique part of the styloglossus muscle blends with the fibres of the hyoglossus muscle.
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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). While several muscles contribute to the movement and positioning of the tongue, the palatoglossus muscle, also known as musculus palatoglossus, specifically elevates the posterior tongue.
The palatoglossus muscle is an extrinsic muscle of the tongue, originating from the anterior region of the soft palate. It passes anteroinferiorly and laterally, extending inferiorly and inserting into the tongue's lateral borders. This muscle is unique in that it is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve like most other tongue muscles. Instead, it receives innervation from the vagus nerve (CN X) via branches of the pharyngeal plexus.
The palatoglossus muscle has several important functions beyond simply elevating the posterior tongue. Firstly, it aids in the initiation of swallowing by propelling food towards the oesophagus and preventing retrograde flow. This is achieved by closing the oropharyngeal isthmus and maintaining the palatoglossal arch, which separates the oral cavity and the oropharynx. Additionally, it prevents the spill of saliva from the vestibule into the oropharynx, ensuring efficient swallowing and protecting the airway.
The palatoglossus muscle also plays a role in altering the position of the soft palate relative to the tongue and pharynx. It works in conjunction with the palatopharyngeus muscle to elevate the velar region and position the palate. This coordination between the tongue and soft palate is essential for closing off the oral cavity from the oropharynx during swallowing and speech.
Variations in the region of attachment of the palatoglossus muscle to the soft palate have been observed. In some individuals, the attachment area may be larger, resulting in a greater ability to elevate the tongue. However, this variation can impact the muscle's ability to lower the soft palate, highlighting the complex interplay between anatomy and function.
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The genioglossus muscle enables the tongue to stick out
The tongue is a muscular organ that plays a crucial role in various functions, such as facilitating gustatory stimuli, mastication, and speech. It is composed of both intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, with the extrinsic muscles attaching the tongue to external regions. One of the key extrinsic muscles involved in tongue movement is the genioglossus muscle.
The genioglossus muscle is attached to the superior mental spine of the mandible. From there, it extends in a superoposterior direction and attaches to the superior surface of the hyoid body, running along the length of the ventral tongue from its root to the apex. The left and right genioglossus muscles are separated at the back by the lingual septum but blend together at the front.
The genioglossus muscle is responsible for protruding the tongue, enabling it to stick out of the mouth. This muscle works in conjunction with other extrinsic muscles, such as the hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus, to produce a range of tongue movements. These movements include protrusion, retraction, depression, and elevation, which are essential for functions like chewing, speech, and swallowing.
The genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), along with the other extrinsic muscles of the tongue, except for the palatoglossus muscle. The palatoglossus muscle is unique in that it is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X) via branches of the pharyngeal plexus. This muscle elevates the posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, and aids in swallowing, while also preventing the spill of saliva from the vestibule into the oropharynx.
In summary, the genioglossus muscle is a vital extrinsic muscle that enables the tongue to stick out by protruding it from the mouth. This muscle, along with other extrinsic and intrinsic muscles, contributes to the complex movements of the tongue, ensuring its essential role in various physiological functions.
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The superior longitudinal muscle curls the tongue upward
The tongue is an oval-shaped muscular organ that sits in the mouth cavity. It plays a crucial role in gustatory stimuli, mastication, and speech. The tongue is made up of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, which work together to produce movements essential for chewing, speaking, and swallowing. These muscles also enable the tongue to change shape and size, facilitating functions such as tongue rolling, eating, and swallowing.
The superior longitudinal muscle is one of the four paired intrinsic muscles of the tongue, along with the inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles. The superior longitudinal muscle sits just below the mucosa of the dorsal aspect of the tongue, forming a thin layer across the dorsum. It extends from the epiglottic region to the tip of the tongue and from the lingual septum to the lateral lingual margins.
The superior longitudinal muscle is responsible for shortening and widening the tongue, and it curls the tongue upward in a movement known as dorsiflexion. This upward curling movement is essential for various functions, including elevating the tongue's apex and facilitating swallowing.
In contrast, the inferior longitudinal muscle produces the opposite movement, known as ventroflexion, where the tongue curls downward. The transverse muscle elongates and narrows the tongue, while the vertical muscle flattens it. These intrinsic muscles of the tongue are innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), which facilitates their coordinated movements.
Additionally, the extrinsic muscles of the tongue, including the genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus, produce movements that the intrinsic muscles cannot. These extrinsic muscles enable protrusion, retraction, depression, and elevation of the tongue. The palatoglossus muscle, however, is the only tongue muscle innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X) rather than the hypoglossal nerve.
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The transverse muscle narrows the tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ with a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles are responsible for changing the shape of the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles are in charge of moving it in different directions. One of these intrinsic muscles is the transverse muscle, which narrows the tongue when contracted.
The transverse muscle, also known as the transverse lingual muscle or transversus linguae, is an intrinsic muscle of the tongue. It gets its name from the direction in which its fibres run. These fibres arise from the median fibrous septum and pass laterally to insert into the submucous fibrous tissue at the sides of the tongue.
The contraction of the transverse muscle causes the tongue to elongate and narrow. This is in contrast to other muscles such as the superior longitudinal muscle, which shortens and widens the tongue, and the inferior longitudinal muscle, which also shortens and widens the tongue while curling it downward. The transverse muscle's ability to narrow the tongue is a crucial function that contributes to the tongue's overall flexibility and range of motion.
The transverse muscle, along with other intrinsic muscles, plays a significant role in facilitating essential functions such as speech, eating, and swallowing. The tongue's ability to change shape and size, including narrowing, is essential for tongue-rolling, forming words, manipulating food, and triggering the swallowing reflex. These muscles work together to produce movements that are vital for our daily lives.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several muscles that contribute to the elevation of the tongue. These include the styloglossus, palatoglossus, and hyoglossus muscles.
The styloglossus muscle is a thin stripe 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 and insert into the tongue's posterolateral aspects. The styloglossus muscle elevates the tongue's lateral margins and retrudes the tongue.
The palatoglossus is a bow-shaped muscle associated with the tongue and the soft palate. It originates from the palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate and arches laterally downward to insert into the dorsum of the tongue. The palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, and aids in swallowing.
