Quick Facts
Origin: Styloid process of temporal bone.
Insertion: Blends with intrinsic muscles of tongue.
Action: Elevates and retrudes tongue.
Innervation: Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Arterial Supply: Sublingual artery.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The styloglossus muscle arises from the anterolateral aspect of the styloid process of the temporal bone near its apex, and from the proximal end of the stylomandibular ligament. It is one of three muscles that attaches to the styloid process, the others include the stylopharyngeus and stylohyoid muscles.
Insertion
As the styloglossus muscle descends anteriorly, it divides into longitudinal and oblique parts. The longitudinal part enters the tongue posterolaterally and blends with the inferior longitudinal lingual muscle. The oblique part overlaps with the hyoglossus muscle and decussates with it.
Actions
The styloglossus muscle elevates and retrudes the tongue (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Styloglossus
The styloglossus originates at the styloid process and blends into the fibers of the inferior longitudinal tongue muscles and the hyoglossus, and elevates and retracts the tongue posteriorly and superiorly.
