Genioglossus

Looks like

The large fan-shaped muscle forming the bulk of the tongue, running from the inside of the chin back into the whole tongue.

What it does

Pushes the tongue forward and out, and keeps it from falling back onto the airway during sleep.

Keeping it well

Powered by the hypoglossal nerve. Its slackening in sleep contributes to snoring and sleep apnoea; a tongue that veers to one side needs a doctor.

Related conditions

• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Botulism
• Burning mouth syndrome
• Candida & fungal infection
• Fibromyalgia
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Hand, foot and mouth disease
• Head and neck cancer
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Lichen planus
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Mouth ulcers (aphthous stomatitis)
• Muscular dystrophy
• Pemphigus vulgaris
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Scarlet fever
• Stevens–Johnson syndrome / toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Tetanus
• Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia)