The styloglossus, the shortest and smallest of the three styloid muscles, arises from the anterior and lateral surfaces of the
styloid process near its apex, and from the stylomandibular ligament.
Passing inferiorly and anteriorly between the
internal
Internal may refer to:
*Internality as a concept in behavioural economics
*Neijia, internal styles of Chinese martial arts
*Neigong or "internal skills", a type of exercise in meditation associated with Daoism
*''Internal (album)'' by Safia, 2016
...
and
external carotid arteries, it divides upon the side of the tongue near its dorsal surface, blending with the fibers of the
longitudinalis inferior in front of the
hyoglossus
The hyoglossus, thin and quadrilateral, arises from the side of the body and from the whole length of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, and passes almost vertically upward to enter the side of the tongue, between the styloglossus and the in ...
; the other, oblique, overlaps the Hyoglossus and decussates with its fibers.
Innervation
The styloglossus is innervated by the
hypoglossal nerve
The hypoglossal nerve, also known as the twelfth cranial nerve, cranial nerve XII, or simply CN XII, is a cranial nerve that innervates all the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus, which is innervated ...
(CN XII) like all muscles of the tongue except
palatoglossus which is innervated by the
pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve
The pharyngeal plexus is a network of nerve fibers innervating most of the palate and pharynx. (The larynx, which is innervated by the superior and recurrent laryngeal nerves from vagus nerve (CN X), is not included.)
It is located on the sur ...
(CN X).
Action
The styloglossus draws up the sides of the tongue to create a trough for swallowing. As a pair they also aid in retracting the tongue.
Additional images
Image:Gray137.png, Left temporal bone. Outer surface.
Image:Gray386.png, Muscles of the neck. Anterior view.
Image:Gray513.png, The internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Right side.
Image:Gray793.png, Course and distribution of the glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.
Image:Gray794.png, Hypoglossal nerve, cervical plexus, and their branches.
File:Slide8aaa.JPG, Styloglossus muscle
File:Slide7ggg.JPG, Styloglossus muscle
File:Slide7hhh.JPG, Styloglossus muscle
File:Slide14lll.JPG, Styloglossus muscle
References
External links
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Muscles of the head and neck
Tongue