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The tongue is a group of muscles that is essential for speaking, swallowing, and sucking in a coordinated way. It is also a sensory organ responsible for tasting and is the most sensitive to touch. The tongue is the only muscle in the body that is not attached at both ends, allowing for a wide range of motion. The genioglossus muscle, which is part of the extrinsic muscles, helps to protrude the tongue out of the mouth. The hypoglossal nerve, or cranial nerve 12, controls the genioglossus muscle and enables tongue movement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle that sticks the tongue out | Genioglossus |
| Genioglossus function | Raises the floor of the mouth, helping push the tongue out |
| Other extrinsic muscles | Styloglossus, Hyoglossus |
| Styloglossus function | Raises the tongue and withdraws it back into the mouth |
| Hyoglossus function | Raises the sides of the tongue |
| Intrinsic muscles function | Allow the tongue to change shape and size |
| Tongue nerve | Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) |
| Tongue artery | Lingual artery (a branch of the external carotid artery) |
| Tongue vein | Lingual vein |
| Tongue shape | Oblong |
| Tongue surface | Covered with a dense layer of connective tissue, with a mucous membrane on top |
| Tongue root | Connected to the floor of the mouth |
| Tongue tip and sides | Flexible and can perform complex movements |
| Tongue dorsum | Contains many sensory cells for taste and touch |
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What You'll Learn
- The genioglossus muscle is responsible for protrusion and depression of the tongue
- The hyoglossus muscle is responsible for depression and retraction of the tongue
- The styloglossus muscle connects the submandibular parapharyngeal spaces, otherwise known as the buccopharyngeal gap
- The palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior tongue and aids in swallowing
- The tongue's flexibility is important for speaking
The genioglossus muscle is responsible for protrusion and depression of the tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat that is well-supplied with blood and has many nerves. It is made up of various muscles that allow it to move freely and perform complex movements. The genioglossus muscle is an extrinsic muscle that connects the tongue to structures outside of itself, such as the hyoid bone, or lingual bone, in the upper part of the throat. This muscle is responsible for protrusion and depression of the tongue. When the genioglossus muscle contracts, it stabilises and enlarges the upper airway, helping to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway. This is particularly important during general anaesthesia and for those with sleep apnea, as relaxation of this muscle can lead to airway obstruction.
The genioglossus muscle works in conjunction with other muscles to facilitate tongue movement. For example, while the genioglossus pushes the tongue out, the styloglossus muscle pulls the tongue back into the mouth. The styloglossus also creates the connection between the submandibular parapharyngeal spaces, or the buccopharyngeal gap, as it leaves the tongue and passes between the middle and superior constrictor muscles before attaching to the styloid process.
The tongue is the only muscle in the body that is not attached at both ends, allowing for a great deal of mobility. It can change shape and size thanks to its intrinsic muscles, which is essential for speaking. The tongue is also a sensory organ, responsible for tasting, and it has many immune system cells that help to fight germs that enter through the mouth.
The hypoglossal nerve, or cranial nerve 12, controls the genioglossus muscle and enables tongue movement. When this nerve is damaged, it can result in deviation of the tongue to the damaged side. To test for hypoglossal nerve stimulation, a healthcare provider may ask a patient to stick out their tongue and push it against their cheek while feeling for pressure.
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The hyoglossus muscle is responsible for depression and retraction of the tongue
The tongue is a muscular structure located on the floor of the oral cavity. It is the primary taste organ and plays a key role in the initial phases of swallowing. The tongue is made up of extrinsic and intrinsic muscles. The extrinsic muscles are those that bind the tongue to somewhere outside of the tongue, while the intrinsic muscles originate and attach to other structures within the tongue.
The hyoglossus is an extrinsic muscle that is responsible for depressing and retracting the tongue. It is a flat, wide muscle that lies in the lateral portion of the root of the tongue. The hyoglossus originates from the lateral aspect of the basihyoid bone and from portions of the stylohyoid and thyrohyoid bones. It is innervated by the lateral branch of the hypoglossal nerve.
The hyoglossus muscle is located immediately lateral to the geniohyoid in the floor of the oral cavity. It arises from the hyoid bone and inserts onto the lateral aspect of the tongue. The lingual artery, the main artery that supplies the lingual muscles, passes between the hyoglossus and the genioglossus. Additionally, the hypoglossal nerve and the lingual nerve pass over its external surface on their way to the tongue.
The hyoglossus works together with the genioglossus muscle to depress and retract the tongue. Their activity is synchronous with respiration and 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.
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The styloglossus muscle connects the submandibular parapharyngeal spaces, otherwise known as the buccopharyngeal gap
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat. It is the only muscle in the body that is not attached at both ends, with one end free, allowing for a great range of motion. The styloglossus muscle is an extrinsic muscle that plays an integral role in tongue movement. It is more lateral than the other tongue muscles. The styloglossus muscle connects the pharyngeal and submandibular spaces, forming the buccopharyngeal gap between the middle and superior constrictor muscles of the pharynx.
The styloglossus muscle arises from the styloid process, a thin bony projection of the temporal bone, and the stylomandibular ligament. The styloglossus muscle retrudes the tongue and elevates its lateral margins. Its contraction results in the retrusion of the tongue, and it also elevates the tongue's lateral margin. The styloglossus muscle creates the connection between the submandibular parapharyngeal spaces, otherwise known as the buccopharyngeal gap, as it leaves the tongue and passes between the middle and superior constrictor muscles before attaching to the styloid process.
The styloglossus muscle, along with the stylopharyngeus and stylohyoid muscles, form the 'bunch of Riolanus'. The stylopharyngeus muscle is a long, slender, and tapered longitudinal pharyngeal muscle that runs between the styloid process of the temporal bone and the pharynx. It plays an active role in elevating the larynx and pharynx and in dilating the pharynx, facilitating swallowing. The stylopharyngeus muscle acts as a significant dilating muscle of the nasopharynx.
The styloglossus muscle receives its blood supply from the sublingual branch of the lingual artery. The lingual artery is a direct branch of the external carotid artery. After branching from the external carotid artery, the lingual artery travels between the hyoglossus and middle pharyngeal constrictor to supply blood to the tongue. Dorsal lingual arteries supply the base of the tongue, while deep lingual arteries supply the body of the tongue.
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The palatoglossus muscle elevates the posterior tongue and aids in swallowing
The tongue is a muscular organ with a complex arrangement of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles of the tongue are responsible for changing its shape, which is essential for speaking. On the other hand, the extrinsic muscles are responsible for moving the tongue in different directions.
The genioglossus muscle, for example, helps to raise the floor of the mouth, allowing us to push our tongue out. The styloglossus muscle, on the other hand, raises the tongue and pulls it back into the mouth.
The palatoglossus muscle is an extrinsic muscle of the tongue and soft palate. It originates from the palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate and inserts onto the side of the tongue. Some of its fibres extend over the tongue's dorsal surface, while others pass deep into the tongue's substance, intertwining with the transverse muscle of the tongue.
The palatoglossus muscle has several important functions. Firstly, it elevates the posterior portion of the tongue. Additionally, it lowers the soft palate, narrowing the diameter of the oropharyngeal isthmus. This action is crucial during swallowing, as it propels food towards the oesophagus and prevents retrograde flow. It also prevents the spillage of saliva from the vestibular region into the oropharyngeal region by maintaining the palatoglossal arch.
Furthermore, the palatoglossus muscle is involved in speech production for some individuals. It aids in the pronunciation of certain vowels and uvular fricatives by constricting the oropharyngeal isthmus.
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The tongue's flexibility is important for speaking
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat, with eight interwoven muscles that can move in any direction. It is the only muscle in the body that is not attached at both ends, with one end free to move independently. This unique structure gives the tongue its flexibility and range of motion.
The tongue's flexibility is essential for speaking. Speech production involves intricate movements of the tongue, lips, and other articulators. The tongue acts as a sculptor, manipulating airflow to generate a diverse range of sounds. It is involved in shaping consonants and modulating vowels, and its precise and coordinated movements enable clear communication.
The tongue has two types of muscles: extrinsic and intrinsic. The extrinsic muscles bind the tongue to structures outside of it, such as the genioglossus, which allows you to stick your tongue out, and the styloglossus, which raises your tongue and withdraws it back into your mouth. The intrinsic muscles, on the other hand, allow the tongue to change shape and size, which is vital for speaking.
Tongue exercises can help improve oral motor skills and muscle coordination, leading to better speech production. These exercises include tongue curling, tongue stretching, tongue tapping, tongue tracing, and resistance tongue exercises. They can help individuals facing speech and language difficulties to strengthen their tongue muscles and improve their articulation.
Overall, the tongue's flexibility is crucial for speaking, allowing us to produce a wide range of sounds and enabling clear and effective communication.
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Frequently asked questions
The genioglossus muscle is responsible for protruding the tongue out of the mouth.
The styloglossus and hyoglossus muscles are also involved in tongue movement. The styloglossus muscle raises the tongue and withdraws it back into the mouth, while the hyoglossus muscle raises the sides of the tongue.
The hypoglossal nerve, or cranial nerve 12, is responsible for controlling tongue movement.
