Longitudinal muscle of tongue

Longitudinal Muscle of Tongue

Longitudinal muscle of tongue, from Gray's Anatomy

The Longitudinal Muscle of Tongue is one of the four intrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is responsible for changing the shape of the tongue during speech and swallowing.

Structure

The longitudinal muscle of the tongue is divided into two parts: the superior longitudinal muscle and the inferior longitudinal muscle.

The superior longitudinal muscle runs along the upper surface of the tongue under the mucous membrane, and the inferior longitudinal muscle lies on the side of the tongue between the styloglossus and hyoglossus muscles.

Function

The longitudinal muscle of the tongue helps to shorten the tongue, making it thick and broad, and also changes the shape of the tongue during speech and swallowing.

Clinical significance

Understanding the anatomy and function of the longitudinal muscle of the tongue is important in various medical fields, including otolaryngology, speech-language pathology, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

See also

• Intrinsic muscles of the tongue
• Extrinsic muscles of the tongue
• Tongue