Tongue Flashcards

Explore tongue anatomy, including its regions, intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, lingual papillae, nerve supply, vasculature, and lymphatic drainage.

Card 1 of 30Question

What is the tongue?

A highly mobile muscular organ in the oral cavity that participates in taste, mastication, swallowing, and speech.

In This Section

1. What is the tongue?

A highly mobile muscular organ in the oral cavity that participates in taste, mastication, swallowing, and speech.

2. What are the three anatomical parts of the tongue?

The apex, body, and root.

3. What structure separates the anterior two-thirds from the posterior one-third of the tongue?

The sulcus terminalis, a V-shaped groove on the dorsal surface.

4. What is the foramen cecum of the tongue?

A small depression at the apex of the sulcus terminalis marking the embryonic origin of the thyroglossal duct.

5. What is the median sulcus of the tongue?

A shallow longitudinal groove on the anterior dorsal surface marking the midline.

6. What is the lingual septum?

A median fibrous partition separating the right and left halves of the tongue musculature.

7. What are the four types of lingual papillae?

Filiform, fungiform, circumvallate, and foliate papillae.

8. Which lingual papillae are the most numerous?

Filiform papillae, which provide mechanical friction and normally lack taste buds.

9. Where are fungiform papillae most concentrated?

Near the apex and lateral margins of the anterior tongue.

10. Where are the circumvallate papillae located?

In a V-shaped row immediately anterior to the sulcus terminalis.

11. Where are the foliate papillae located?

Along the posterolateral margins of the tongue.

12. What are von Ebner's glands?

Serous glands whose ducts open into trenches surrounding circumvallate and some foliate papillae.

13. What is the lingual tonsil?

A collection of lymphoid follicles in the mucosa of the posterior third of the tongue.

14. What are the four intrinsic muscles of the tongue?

Superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, transverse, and vertical muscles.

15. What is the principal function of the intrinsic tongue muscles?

To alter the tongue's shape by shortening, curling, narrowing, or flattening it.

16. What are the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue?

Genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus.

17. What is the main action of the genioglossus muscle?

Protrusion of the tongue, with its posterior fibers helping prevent the tongue from falling backward.

18. What is the main action of the hyoglossus muscle?

Depression of the tongue, particularly its lateral portions.

19. What is the main action of the styloglossus muscle?

Retraction and elevation of the tongue.

20. What is the main action of the palatoglossus muscle?

Elevation of the posterior tongue and narrowing of the oropharyngeal isthmus.

21. Which nerve supplies motor innervation to most tongue muscles?

The hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII).

22. Which tongue muscle is not innervated by the hypoglossal nerve?

The palatoglossus, supplied by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) through the pharyngeal plexus.

23. Which nerve provides general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

The lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (V3).

24. Which nerve carries taste sensation from most of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

The chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII).

25. Which nerve provides general sensation and taste to the posterior third of the tongue?

The glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX).

26. Which nerve carries taste sensation from the circumvallate papillae?

The glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX), despite their location anterior to the sulcus terminalis.

27. Which nerve supplies sensation to the tongue near the epiglottis?

The internal laryngeal nerve, a branch of the superior laryngeal nerve from the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X).

28. What is the principal arterial supply of the tongue?

The lingual artery, a branch of the external carotid artery.

29. What is the principal venous drainage pathway of the tongue?

The lingual veins, which drain directly or through the common facial vein into the internal jugular vein.

30. What are the main lymphatic drainage pathways of the tongue?

The apex drains mainly to submental nodes, lateral anterior tongue to submandibular nodes, and central and posterior regions to deep cervical nodes.