Description
The muscles of the tongue consist primarily of two groups of muscles, the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue. The extrinsic muscles attach the tongue to external regions and include the:
- genioglossus muscle;
- hyoglossus muscle;
- chondroglossus muscle;
- styloglossus muscle;
- palatoglossus muscle.
The intrinsic muscles attach within the tongue and change its shape. They include the:
- superior longitudinal lingual muscle;
- inferior longitudinal lingual muscle;
- transversus linguae muscle;
- verticalis linguae muscle.
These muscle groups function in moving the mandible and the tongue, which is required for deglutition and phonation.
Related parts of the anatomy
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Tongue
The tongue is a muscular structure that comprises the majority of the oral cavity and rests on the floor of mouth.
