Anatomy of Tongue

Presented by;
Humayun Afridi
Saqib Habib
Taif Ahmad
Faisal Mansoor.

Khyber College of Dentistry
Peshawar

Contents
 Introduction
 General Features
 Papillae , Types
 Taste Buds

 Extrinsic & Intrinsic Muscles
 Movements
 Vasculature

 Innervation
 Functions
 Clinical Aspects

INTRODUCTION & GENERALFEATURES

SAQIB HABIB
CLASS NO: 40

INTRODUCTION
Mass of striated muscles covered with mucous
membrane
Voluntary muscular structure
Length: 3 inches

Location: floor of the mouth
Shape: triangular
Attachement: With mandible and hyoid bone

 Has an apex , body and root

GENERAL FEATURES
SURFACES :
 Two surfaces
• Superior surface
• Inferior surface

 Superior surface is

divided into three parts
• Anterior 2/3 part
called as Oral part
• Posterior 1/3 part
called as Pharyngeal
part
• Base(root) of tongue

General Features
 TERMINAL SULCUS
V-shaped sulcus

divides tongue into
anterior & posterior
parts
 Apex of sulcus marked
by a pit - FORAMEN
CECUM

General Features
 Foramen cecum ,an

embryological
remnant, marks the upper
end of thyroglossal duct
 Sometime a thyroglossal

duct persists and connects
the foramen cecum with
the thyroid gland in
neck(thyroglossal cyst)

Superior Surface
Oral Part(anterior 2/3):
• Comprises of a

median furrow
• Rough surface due to
presence of papillae
• Surrounded by
anterior and lateral
teeth
• Mobile part of
tongue

Superior Surface
Pharyngeal
Part(Posterior 1/3)
• Lies behind the

sulcus terminalis
• No papillae, shows
nodular
surface, presence of
lymphatic nodules
and lingual tonsils
• Contributes to the
anterior wall of
oropharynx

Base of Tongue
 Base of tongue is far back

and is bottom of tongue
 Contributes to the front
wall of pharynx
 Movement can affect the
diameter of pharynx i.e
• When it push
forwards, thereby
expanding the pharynx
• When it pull
backwards, thereby
constricting the
pharynx
• Lacks papillae

INFERIOR SURFACE
Covered by smooth mucous membrane
In the midline , a mucosal fold called Frenulum
connects the tongue with the floor of the mouth
Lateral to frenulum, deep lingual vein can be seen
through the mucosa
Lateral to the lingual vein , mucosal fold called as
plica fimbriata is present

Frenulum

Lingual veins

Plica
fimbriata

PAPPILAE
 Indentation of any structure

in the overlying epithelium
is called papillae
 Superior surface of tongue
, covered by numerous
papillae
 Have taste buds on their
surfaces
 Types of of papillae;
• Vallate/circumvallate
• Filiform
• Fungiform
• Foliate

Vallate Papillae
 Largest among papillae
 SHAPE: Blunt-ended cylindrical
 NUMBER: 8 to 12
LOCATION: infront of sulcus terminalis
ARRANGEMENT: Occur in V shape line

Filiform Papillae
 SHAPE: Thin, long papillae having pointed ends

‘V’ shaped cones
 Only papillae having no taste buds

NUMBER: numerous
These papillae are mechanical and not involved in
gustation
Identified by increased keratinization
LOCATION: Present at pre-sulcal area of the tongue

Fungiform Pappilae
SHAPE: slightly mushroom-shaped if looked at in
longitudinal section
 Taste buds on their surfaces
LOCATION: apex of the tongue as well as the margins
Larger than filiform papillae

Foliate Pappilae
 SHAPE: Short vertical folds
LOCATION: Present lateral to terminal sulcus and at
margins

Taste Buds
 Sensory receptors for taste
The sensation of taste is called gustation
Taste buds are located on the surfaces of papillae
except filiform papillae

Electron microscopic structure of taste
buds

Taste Buds
 Four taste sensations, recently a fifth basic taste has
been added: sour, sweet, salty, bitter and the recently
added umami

UMAMI

Umami Taste
 Umami is from japanese

word which means ‘pleasant
savory taste’
 Human tongue has
glutamate receptors, which
is the source of umami
flavour
 Kikunae ikeda, japanese
scientist proposed its
existence in 1908
 This taste is mostly found in
fish, cured
meats, mushrooms, cheese,
spinach etc.

Interesting Facts
 Women have shorter tongue than men.
 Blue whale has the largest tongue in animal

kingdom and weighs 5400 lbs
 About half of all bacteria in your mouth live on
your tongue
 Tongue heals faster than any part of the body
 Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is
white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.

 Chinese believe that

tongue is
representative of
organs of body

Muscles of Tongue
BY

TAIF AHMAD
Class No; 74

MUSCLES
OF TONGUE

EXTRINSIC
MUSCLES

INTRINSIC
MUSCLES

The tongue is divided
into two halves by a
median septum and
the muscles of each
half consist of Intrinsic
And Extrinsic Muscles
 Therefore each muscle

occur in Pair.

INTRINSIC MUSCLES
 These muscles are confined to the tongue,
 They originate and inserts within the tongue,
 No bony attachments,

 FUNCTION: They alter the shape of tongue

Types of Intrinsic Muscles
There are four types
Superior Longitudinal,
Inferior Longitudinal,
Vertical muscles,
And
Transverse muscles.

Superior Longitudinal Muscle
It lies just
beneath the
dorsum of the
tongue.

ACTION: It
curls the tip
upward and
rolls it
posteriorly

Action of Superior Longitudinal
Muscle

Inferior Longitudinal Muscles
 Lies on each side

lateral to the
Genioglossus
muscles,
 ACTION:

They curl the tip of
tongue inferiorly.

Transverse Muscles
 Lies inferior to the

superior longitudinal
muscle and run from
the septum to margins

 ACTION:
They narrow the
tongue and increase its
height.

Vertical muscles
 It runs

inferolaterally
from the dorsum,
 ACTION:

Flattens the
dorsum.

EXTRINSIC MUSCLES
 These muscles take origin from parts outside the


1

2
3
4

tongue, therefore move the tongue as well as alter the
shape.
Divided into four types namely;
) GENIOGLOSSUS
) HYOGLOSSUS
) STYLOGLOSSUS
) PALATOGLOSSUS

STYLOGLOSSUS and PALATOGLOSSUS
attach the tongue superiorly, while
GENIOGLOSSUS and HYOGLOSSUS attach
the tongue inferiorly.

GENIOGLOSSUS
 ORIGIN: From
superior mental spines,
 INSERTION: Into the
mucous membrane of
the tongue.
 Action: Protrudes the
tongue, depress central
part of tongue and
increase the volume of
mouth as in sucking.

GENIOGLOSSUS

HYOGLOSSUS
 ORIGIN: Arises from

greater horn and body
of hyoid bone,
 INSERTION: Side of
tongue.
 ACTION: It depresses
side of tongue assisting
GENIOGLOSSUS to
enlarge oral cavity.

HYOGLOSSUS

STYLOGLOSSUS
 ORIGIN: Lower part of

Styloid process and
upper part of
stylohyoid ligament,
 INSERTION: Side of
tongue.
 ACTION: Elevates and
retracts the tongue.
STYLOGLOSSUS

PALATOGLOSSUS
 ORIGIN: From soft
palate.


INSERTION:
Lateral margin of
tongue.

 ACTION: Elevates
back of tongue and
depresses soft palate.

• Protrusion:
• Genioglossus on both sides acting together

• Retraction:
• Styloglossus and hyoglossus on both sides acting

together
• Depression:
• Hyoglossus and genioglossus on both sides acting
together
• Elevation:
• Styloglossus and palatoglossus on both sides acting
together

INNERVATION
 Both extrinsic and intrinsic muscles are

supplied by HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE
except PALATOGLOSSUS muscle
which is in turn supplied by VAGUS
NERVE.

FACTS
1). The tongue is the strongest muscle in the body and
the only muscle that is connected only at one end.
2). Using a tongue scraper to clean your tongue is proven
to prevent heart attacks, pneumonia, premature
births, diabetes.
3). Your tongue never stops working. Even when you
sleep it is pushing saliva into your throat.

VASCULATURE &
INNERVATION OF TONGUE
HUMAYUN AFRIDI
CLASS No. 55

BLOOD SUPPLY
Arterial Supply
 Lingual artery - supplies
tongue and floor of the
mouth.
 Originates from external
carotid artery in neck
 Passes between
hyoglossus and
genioglossus muscles of
tongue

ILingual
artery

Arterial Supply
• Lingual artery mainly gives three branches within the
tongue namely
• Dorsal lingual artery
• Deep lingual artery
• Sub lingual artery

Arterial Supply
 Also secondary supply to the tongue by:
 Tonsillar branch of facial artery
 Ascending pharyngeal artery (branch of external

carotid artery)

Venous Drainage
 Drained by dorsal lingual
vein and deep lingual veins

Dorsal lingual vein

 Deep Lingual Veins:
 Begins near tip of tongue

and run beneath the
mucous membrane
 Visible on the inferior
surface of tongue
 Anterior to lingual artery
 Ultimately drains into
internal jugular vein

Deep lingual vein

Venous Drainage
 Dorsal Lingual Veins
 Drain the dorsum and

sides of tongue
 Runs along the
lingual artery
 Drains into internal
jugular vein

Dorsal lingual vein

Lymphatics
Apical Vessels:
Drains into Submental
nodes & deep cervical
nodes

Marginal Vessels:
Drains into Submandibular
nodes & deep cervical
nodes

Basal Vessels:
Drains into Deep cervical
nodes (jugulodigastric
mainly)

LYMPH
VESSELS
1. APICAL

2. MARGINAL

AFFERENT(RECEIVING)
i. TIP
ii. FRENULUM

SIDE OF TONGUE IN FRONT OF
SULCUS TERMINALIS
POSTERIOR 1/3RD or Base

3. BASAL

EFFERENT(DRAINING)
- SUBMENTAL
( MAJOR LYMPH NODE )

- SUBMANDIBULAR NODE
- JUGULODIGASTRIC
JUGULO- DIGASTRIC (deep
cervical nodes)

Innervation
 Innervation is complex and consists of three different
supplies
 Motor supply
 General sensory supply
 Special sensory supply

Motor Supply
 All extrinsic and intrinsic muscles are supplied by
HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE except PALATOGLOSSUS muscle
which is supplied by VAGUS NERVE.

Sensory supply
 General sensory
sensation is by three

nerves
 Lingual nerve –
anterior 2/3rd of
tongue
 Glossopharyngeal
nerve – posterior
1/3rd of tongue
 Vagus nerve –
posterior most part of
tongue

Special sensory supply
 Supplied by three nerves
 Chorda tympani (facial)

– taste sensation of
anterior 2/3rd of tongue
 Glossopharyngeal (ix) –
taste sensation of
posterior 1/3rd of
tongue
 Vagus nerve (x) – taste
sensation of posterior
most part

Functions
 Deglutition
 Taste sensation
 Speech production
 Breast feeding
 Self cleansing system
 Mastication

CLINICAL ASPECTS

FAISAL MANSOOR

 GLOSSITIS is usually a part of generalized

ulceration of mouth cavity . In certain anaemias
due to atrophy of filiform papillae tongue
becomes smooth.
 The presence of a rich network of lymphatics and
loose areolar tissue in the substance of tongue is
responsible for the enormous swelling of the
tongue in acute glossitis.

Clinical aspects

 The under-surface of the tongue is good site for

observation of jaundice.
In unconscious patients, the tongue may fall
back and obstruct the air passage. This can be
prevented either by lying the patient on one side
with head down or by keeping the tongue out
mechanically.
 Referred pain is felt in the ear in diseases of
posterior part of tongue, as ninth nerve
commonly supply to both the regions

Clinical aspects

 Carcinoma of tongue is quite common. The

affected side is removed surgically. Carcinoma of
posterior one third is more dangerous.

Clinical aspects

Now,
Lets find how attentive were
you…



Q1) WHICH PAPILLAE ARE RIGHT ANTERIOR TO
SULCUS TERMINALIS?
A. Foliate
B. Vallate

C. Fungiform
D. Filiform

Q2) WHICH OF THE ONLY MUSCLES OF THE
TONGUE IS INNERVATED BY THE VAGUS
NERVE[X]?
A. Styloglossus
B. Genioglossus
C. Palatoglossus
D. Hyoglossus

Q3) DEEP LINGUAL VEINS DRAIN INTO:
A. External Jugular Vein
B. Internal Jugular Vein

Q4) CHORDA TYMPANI IS BRANCH OF WHICH
CRANIAL NERVE?
A. Vestibulocochlear
B. Facial

C. Glossopharyngeal
D. Hypoglossal

Q5) CHORDA TYMPANI IS THE NERVE OF TASTE
FOR ALL EXCEPT WHICH PAPILLAE?
A. Filiform
B. Fungiform

C. Foliate
D. Vallate

Q6) WHICH OF THE PAPILLAE ARE NUMEROUS
OF ALL IN NUMBER?
A. Filliform
B. Fungiform

C. Foliate
D. Vallate

Think About This
In Medical School we have a
hundred classes that teach us
how to fight off death…And not
one lesson on how to go on
living.”

“

Anatomy of Tongue

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