Styloglossus

The styloglossus muscle is the shortest and smallest of the three styloid muscles.^{[citation needed]}

It arises from (the anterior and lateral surfaces of) the styloid process of the temporal bone near its apex, and from the stylomandibular ligament.^{[citation needed]}

It passes anterioinferiorly from its origin to its insertion between the internal carotid artery and the external carotid artery,^{[citation needed]} and between the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle.^[1]

It divides upon the side of the tongue near the dorsal surface of the tongue, blending with the fibers of the longitudinalis inferior muscle anterior to the hyoglossus muscle.^{[citation needed]}

The styloglossus is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) (like all muscles of the tongue except palatoglossus which is innervated by the pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve (CN X)).^{[citation needed]}

The styloglossus draws up the sides of the tongue to create a trough for swallowing. Acting bilaterally (both styloglossus muscles contracting simultaneously) they also aid in retracting the tongue.^{[citation needed]}

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  Left temporal bone. Outer surface.
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  Muscles of the neck. Anterior view.
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  The internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Right side.
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  Course and distribution of the glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.
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  Hypoglossal nerve, cervical plexus, and their branches.
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  Styloglossus muscle
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  Styloglossus muscle
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  Styloglossus muscle
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  Styloglossus muscle

  This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1130 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

• "Anatomy diagram: 25420.000-1". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier. Archived from the original on 2015-02-26.