Hypoglossal nerve
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Hypoglossal Nerve

Introduction The hypoglossal nerve is the 12th paired cranial nerve. Its name is derived from ancient Greek, where ‘hypo’ means under and ‘glossal’ means tongue. Except for the palatoglossus, which is innervated by the vagus nerve, the nerve has a solely somatic motor function, innervating the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue. The hypoglossal…

Vagus nerve
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Vagus Nerve

Introduction The vagus nerve, also known as the 10th cranial nerve or CN X, is one of the longest and most complex nerves in the human body. It starts in the brainstem, travels through the neck, chest, and abdomen, and branches out to the heart, lungs, digestive tract, and even the tongue and ears. The…

Stapedius Muscle
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Stapedius Muscle

What Is The Stapedius Muscle? The human body’s smallest skeletal muscle is the stapedius. Its function is to maintain the stapes, or combing bone, of the middle ear, the smallest bone in the body, measuring slightly over a millimeter in length. Structure The stapedius inserts into the stapes neck after coming from a small foramen…

Diaphragm Muscle
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Diaphragm Muscle

What Is The Diaphragm Muscle? The diaphragm, an essential respiratory muscle, divides the thoracic and abdominal areas. It is positioned below the lungs and is critical for breathing because it contracts and relaxes to change the volume of the thoracic cavity. The diaphragm contracts during inhalation, removing and expanding the thoracic cavity to facilitate the…