Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus)
Tongue · Head & Neck
The hyoglossus is a thin, quadrilateral extrinsic muscle of the tongue that arises from the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone and passes almost vertically upward to insert into the side and inferior aspect of the tongue. The name ceratoglossus refers specifically to the part springing from the greater horn (cornu). Its action is to depress and retract the tongue, pulling it down and back, opposing the elevating and protruding muscles. Surgically it is an important landmark because the hypoglossal nerve and lingual artery lie in a definite relationship to its lateral surface. It is innervated, like the other extrinsic tongue muscles apart from palatoglossus, by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve
Origin
Body and greater horn of the hyoid bone
Insertion
Side and inferior aspect of the tongue
Action
Depresses and retracts the tongue
Nerve
Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
Attachments explained
The Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) is defined first by where it attaches. Its origin is the more fixed anchor, usually the proximal or more stable end that stays put during contraction, while its insertion is the more mobile point that is pulled toward the origin when the muscle shortens.
Origin
Body and greater horn of the hyoid bone
Insertion
Side and inferior aspect of the tongue
Action & function
When the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) contracts, it produces the following movement: Depresses and retracts the tongue.
As part of the Tongue group of the Head & Neck, it works alongside neighbouring muscles to generate smooth, coordinated movement and to stabilise the structures it acts on.
Nerve supply & clinical relevance
The Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) receives its nerve supply from the Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Hypoglossal nerve can weaken or paralyse the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus), impairing the movements it normally produces (depresses and retracts the tongue). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.
How to study the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) (the OIANS method)
Learn hyoglossus from its two hyoid attachments. Because it runs straight up from the hyoid into the side of the tongue, its pull is downward and backward, so depression and retraction follow directly from that vertical line. Contrast it with styloglossus, which comes from above and therefore elevates and retracts, to keep the retractors sorted by their origins.
Use it as an anatomical signpost to remember relationships. The hypoglossal nerve runs on the outer surface of hyoglossus while the lingual artery passes deep to it, a classic dissection landmark. Anchoring CN XII to the surface of the very muscle it supplies helps you recall both the nerve and the muscle's downward, retracting action at once.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) located?
The Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) is a muscle of the Tongue group, located in the Head & Neck.
What is the origin of the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus)?
Body and greater horn of the hyoid bone
What is the insertion of the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus)?
Side and inferior aspect of the tongue
What movements does the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) produce?
Depresses and retracts the tongue
What nerve supplies the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus)?
Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
Is the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) free to study in OIANS?
The Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus) is always free to browse. Its full origin, insertion, action and nerve details are open to everyone in the Muscle Directory. Quiz and Flashcard practice for the Head & Neck is part of the one-time Lifetime upgrade, though; only the Upper Limb decks are free to test yourself on.
Related muscles
Study the Hyoglossus (Ceratoglossus)
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