| Genioglossus | |
|---|---|
 Extrinsic muscles of the tongue. Left side. | |
 Muscles of the tongue from below, with genioglossus visible at top | |
| Details | |
| Origin | Superior part of mental spine of mandible (symphysis menti) |
| Insertion | Underside of tongue and body of hyoid |
| Artery | Lingual artery |
| Nerve | Hypoglossal nerve |
| Actions | Inferior fibers protrude the tongue, middle fibers depress the tongue, and its superior fibers draw the tip back and down |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | musculus genioglossus |
| TA98 | A05.1.04.101 |
| TA2 | 2117 |
| FMA | 46690 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that comprises the bulk of the body of the tongue. It arises 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 nerve (cranial nerve XII). The genioglossus is the major muscle responsible for protruding (or sticking out) the tongue.