The inferior longitudinal muscle of tongue is an intrinsic muscle of the

tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

. It is situated on the under surface of the

between the

genioglossus The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that comprises the bulk of the body of the tongue. It arises from the mental spine of the mandible; it inserts onto the hyoid bone, and the bottom o ...

and

hyoglossus The hyoglossus is a thin and quadrilateral extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It originates from the hyoid bone; it inserts onto the side of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). It acts to depress and retract th ...

. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). Its contraction shortens and thickens the tongue.

Structure

The inferior longitudinal muscle of the tongue is an intrinsic muscle of the

. It is thin and oval in cross-section. It is situated between the paramedian septum, and the lateral septum. It extends from the root to the apex of the tongue. Posteriorly, some of its fibers attach onto the body of the

hyoid bone The hyoid-bone (lingual-bone or tongue-bone) () is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid-cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical verte ...

. Anteriorly, its fibres blend with those of the

styloglossus The styloglossus muscle is a bilaterally paired muscle of the tongue. It originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone. It inserts onto the side of the tongue. It acts to elevate and retract the tongue. It is innervated by the hypogloss ...

, and

to form the ventral area of the tip of the tongue.

Innervation

The inferior longitudinal muscle of the tongue is supplied by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).

Function

Contraciton of the inferior longitudinal muscle of the tongue shortens and thickens the tongue.

Additional images

File:Musculuslongitudinalisinferiorlinguae.png

References

Muscles of the head and neck Tongue {{muscle-stub