Superior Longitudinal Lingual Muscle
Musculus longitudinalis superior linguae
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Dorsum of tongue.
Insertion: Tip of tongue and lingual septum.
Action: Shortens tongue; elevates tip of tongue.
Innervation: Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Arterial Supply: Lingual artery.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The superior longitudinal muscle sits just below the mucosa of the dorsal aspect of the tongue, forming a thin layer across the dorsum of the tongue.
Insertion
It extends forwards from the epiglottic region to the tip of the tongue anteriorly and from the lingual septum medially to the lateral lingual margins.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The superior longitudinal lingual muscle is one of the intrinsic muscles of the tongue.
Actions
Overall, the intrinsic muscles of the tongue facilitate the change in the shape of the tongue, which is necessary for phonation and to facilitate deglutition. The superior longitudinal lingual muscle shortens the tongue. It also elevates the tip and sides of the tongue, making the dorsum of the tongue concave (Standring, 2016).
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
