The tongue nerve
Hypoglossal nerve (XII) · nervus hypoglossus
The twelfth cranial nerve, which moves your tongue.
What it does
The hypoglossal nerve leaves the medulla, passes through its own hole in the skull and curves forward under the jaw to the tongue. It powers almost all the tongue's muscles, letting you speak, chew and swallow.
Surprising fact
If one hypoglossal nerve is damaged, the tongue points towards the weak side when you stick it out, because the healthy side pushes it over.
Why it matters
A device that stimulates this nerve during sleep is used to treat some people with obstructive sleep apnoea, by keeping the tongue from flopping back.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.