Introduction The human tongue is an organ that helps the process of digestion by facilitating the manipulation and movement of food particles during mastication and swallowing. The tongue is also essential in the exhibition of speech and essential for employing the sense of taste. The styloglossus muscles are paired with the extrinsic muscle of the…
Introduction Longus capitis muscle is a deep anterior neck muscle that drives in front of the cervical spine. Together with rectus capitis anterior muscle, rectus capitis lateralis muscle, longus cervicis muscle, and anterior scalene muscle, it produces the prevertebral layer of neck muscles. These muscles are also wrapped up in the prevertebral layer of the…
Introduction Longus colli is a paired muscle found on the anterior aspect of the vertebral column. As such, it is usually referred to as an anterior prevertebral muscle concurrently with longus capitis, rectus capitis anterior, and also scalenus anterior muscles. The longus colli muscle (the ‘long muscle of the neck) is also known as longus…
Introduction The platysma is a thin sheet-like muscle that fibs superficially within the anterior aspect of the neck. It arises in the upper thoracic and shoulder areas from a fascia that covers the pectoralis major and deltoid muscles. Its fibers ascend superomedially over the anterolateral element of the neck, to attach to the mandible and…
Introduction The hyoglossus muscle is one of the four intrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a quadrilateral muscle that arises along the whole length of the hyoid bone and inserts into the side of the tongue. The hyoglossus works to both depress and retract the tongue. It acquires its motor innervation through the hypoglossal…
Introduction The genioglossus muscle is only the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that contains the bulk of the body of the tongue. It originates from the mental spine of the mandible; it inserts onto the hyoid bone and the bottom of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal…
Introduction The medial pterygoid muscles, a major elevator of the jaw is a square-shaped masticatory muscle, encountered on the medial part of the lower jaw bilaterally. It is also known as the internal pterygoid muscles. These muscles lie medial to the lateral pterygoid muscles. The medial pterygoid muscle is a thick quadrilateral muscle that binds…
Introduction The lateral pterygoid muscle is a craniomandibular muscle that plays an essential role in the inferior temporal region. It is active during mastication and mandibular motions – including protrusion (forward movement of the mandible), abduction (depression of the mandible), and mediotrusion (mandibular condyle movement towards the midline). It functions particularly during speaking, singing, and…
Introduction In anatomy, the temporalis muscles, also known as the temporal muscle, are one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on the individual side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomatic arch so it obscures much of the temporal bone. Temporal guides to…
Introduction In human anatomy, the masseter muscle is one of the muscles of mastication. Found exclusively in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to encourage the chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle since it is the most superficial and one of the most powerful. Origin of…
