Palatoglossus muscle

Palatoglossus muscle

The mouth cavity seen from anterior view. The palatoglossus muscle is beneath the glossopalatine arch (labeled at upper right)

Dissection of the muscles of the palate from behind. (palatoglossus muscle not labeled)
Details
Latin Musculus palatoglossus
Palatine aponeurosis
Tongue
Vagus nerve (via pharyngeal branch to pharyngeal plexus)
Actions Raising the back part of the tongue
Identifiers
Gray's p.1139
Dorlands
/Elsevier		 m_22/12550045
TA A05.1.04.110
FMA 46697
Anatomical terms of muscle

The palatoglossus, glossopalatinus, or palatoglossal muscle is a small fleshy fasciculus, narrower in the middle than at either end, forming, with the mucous membrane covering its surface, the glossopalatine arch.

Structure

Palatoglossus arises from the palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate,[1] where it is continuous with the muscle of the opposite side, and passing downward, forward, and lateralward in front of the palatine tonsil, is inserted into the side of the tongue, some of its fibers spreading over the dorsum, and others passing deeply into the substance of the organ to intermingle with the transverse muscle of tongue.

Innervation

Palatoglossus is the only muscle of the tongue that is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). It is innervated by the vagus nerve (CN X).[2]

Variation

But some sources state that the palatoglossus is innervated by fibres from the cranial part of the accessory nerve (CN XI) that travel via the pharyngeal plexus.[3]

Other sources state that the palatoglossus is not innervated by XI hitchhiking on X, but rather it is innervated by IX via the pharyngeal plexus formed from IX and X.[4]

Function

Elevates posterior tongue, closes the oropharyngeal isthmus, and aids initiation of swallowing. This muscle also prevents the spill of saliva from vestibule into the oropharynx by maintaining the palatoglossal arch.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. ↑ Hansen, J.T. (2014) Netter’s Clinical Anatomy. Netter Basic Science. 3rd ed. [online]. Elsevier Health Sciences. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZL3zAgAAQBAJ
  2. ↑ Wilson-Pauwels, Linda, and Linda Wilson-Pauwels. "X Vagus Nerve." Cranial Nerves in Health and Disease. 2nd ed. Hamilton, Ont.: B.C. Decker, 2002. 182-201. Print.
  3. ↑ Section 3, Chapter 35 - Neck and Upper Aerodigestive Tract - Pharynx. In: Standring, S, editors. Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 39th Edition. London: Elsevier; 2008. p628
  4. ↑ Chapter 8 Head and Neck. In: Drake RL, Vogl W, Mitchell AWM, editors. Gray's Anatomy for Students. London: Elsevier; 2005. p991

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