Muscles of tongue

Muscles of tongue
Lateral view of the tongue, with extrinsic muscles highlighted.
Coronal section of tongue, showing intrinsic muscles
Latin	musculi linguae
Origin
Insertion
Artery
Nerve
Actions

The muscles of tongue can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic groups.

The intrinsic muscles lie entirely within the tongue, while the extrinsic muscles attach the tongue to other structures.

The extrinsic muscles reposition the tongue, while the intrinsic muscles alter the shape of the tongue for talking and swallowing.

Extrinsic muscles

Extrinsic tongue muscles, by definition, originate from structures outside the tongue and insert into the tongue. The four paired extrinsic muscles protrude, retract, depress, and elevate the tongue:

Muscle	From	Nerve	Function
Genioglossus muscle	mandible	hypoglossal nerve	protrudes the tongue as well as depressing its center.
Hyoglossus muscle	hyoid bone	hypoglossal nerve	depresses the tongue.
Styloglossus muscle	styloid process	hypoglossal nerve	elevates and retracts the tongue.
Palatoglossus muscle	palatine aponeurosis	pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve	depresses the soft palate, moves the palatoglossal fold towards the midline, and elevates the back of the tongue.

Intrinsic muscles

Four paired intrinsic muscles of the tongue originate and insert within the tongue, running along its length. These muscles alter the shape of the tongue by: lengthening and shortening it, curling and uncurling its apex and edges, and flattening and rounding its surface.^[1]

• The superior longitudinal muscle runs along the superior surface of the tongue under the mucous membrane, and elevates, assists in retraction of, or deviates the tip of the tongue. It originates near the epiglottis, the hyoid bone, from the median fibrous septum.
• The inferior longitudinal muscle lines the sides of the tongue, and is joined to the styloglossus muscle.
• The verticalis muscle is located in the middle of the tongue, and joins the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles.
• The transversus muscle divides the tongue at the middle, and is attached to the mucous membranes that run along the sides.

References

1. ^ Drake, R. et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students, Elsevier, 2005. ISBN 0-443-06612-4