Stylopharyngeus muscle
Muscles of the pharynx and cheek. (Stylopharyngeus visible at center left.)
Latin	musculus stylopharyngeus
Gray's	subject #244 1143
Origin	Styloid process (temporal)
Insertion	thyroid cartilage (pharynx)
Artery
Nerve	glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
Actions	elevate the larynx, elevate the pharynx, swallowing
MeSH	Pharyngeal+Muscles

The stylopharyngeus is a muscle in the head that stretches between the styloid process and the pharynx.

Contents 1 Structure 2 Innervation 3 Actions 4 Embryological origin 5 See also 6 Additional images 7 External links

[edit] Structure

The stylopharyngeus is a long, slender muscle, cylindrical above, flattened below. It arises from the medial side of the base of the styloid process, passes downward along the side of the pharynx between the superior pharyngeal constrictor and the middle pharyngeal constrictor, and spreads out beneath the mucous membrane.

Some of its fibers are lost in the constrictor muscles, while others, joining with the palatopharyngeus muscle, are inserted into the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage.

The glossopharyngeal nerve runs on the lateral side of this muscle, and crosses over it to reach the tongue.

[edit] Innervation

This is the only muscle in the pharynx innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and is done by its motor branch which supplies special visceral efferent fibers to it.

[edit] Actions

The stylopharyngeus:

• elevates the larynx
• elevates the pharynx
• dilates the pharynx to permit the passage of a large food bolus, so facilitating swallowing

[edit] Embryological origin

Third pharyngeal arch

[edit] See also

• Stylohyoid muscle
• Styloglossus muscle

[edit] Additional images

Left temporal bone. Inferior surface.	The cartilages of the larynx. Posterior view.	Side view of the larynx, showing muscular attachments.	Extrinsic muscles of the tongue. Left side.
Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves.

[edit] External links

• LUC styp
• 516948046 at GPnotebook

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

This muscle article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

v • d • e List of muscles of head and neck: the neck (TA A04.2, GA 4.387) Cervical CN VII (superficial, PC): platysma CN XI (deep): sternocleidomastoid C1-C6 (anterior): Prevertebral muscles: longus (capitis, colli) C3-C8 (lateral): scalene (anterior, medius, posterior) Suboccipital C1: rectus capitis posterior (major, minor) · obliquus capitis (inferior, superior) C1-C6 (anterior): Prevertebral muscles: rectus capitis (anterior, lateralis) Suprahyoid CN V3 (medial): mylohyoid · anterior belly of digastric CN VII (lateral): stylohyoid · posterior belly of digastric C1 (deep): geniohyoid Infrahyoid/strap C1: thyrohyoid C1-C3: sternohyoid  · sternothyroid · omohyoid Fasciae Deep cervical fascia (Pretracheal fascia, Prevertebral fascia, Investing layer) · Carotid sheath · Alar fascia pharynx: Buccopharyngeal fascia · Pharyngobasilar fascia Palatine aponeurosis Pharyngeal raphe Pharynx pharyngeal constrictor (superior, middle, inferior) · longitudinal (stylopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus) Larynx cricothyroid · cricoarytenoid (posterior, lateral) · arytenoid (oblique arytenoid/aryepiglottic, transverse arytenoid) · thyroarytenoid (vocal, thyroepiglottic)