Foramen cecum (tongue)

Foramen cecum (tongue)
The entrance to the larynx, viewed from behind. Foramen cecum labeled with bolded text.
The mouth cavity. The cheeks have been slit transversely and the tongue pulled forward. (Foramen cecum is visible but not labeled.)
Details
Precursor	pharyngeal arches[1]
Latin	Foramen caecum linguae
Dorlands /Elsevier	f_12/12372851
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

The foramen cecum (foramen caecum or foramen Morgagni) is a depression on the upper surface of the tongue that marks the end of the median sulcus. The median sulcus is the groove that divides the tongue into two symmetrical halves. The foramen cecum is about 2.5 cm from the root of the tongue and from here the terminal sulcus, runs forward, as a shallow groove in a V shape to each side of the margins of the tongue.

The foramen cecum is the point of attachment of the thyroglossal duct and is formed during the descent of the thyroid gland in embryonic development.

Additional Images

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  Foramen cecum (tongue)

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  Foramen cecum

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

1. hednk-024—Embryo Images at University of North Carolina

External links

• Development (umich.edu)
• Anatomy photo:34:06-0100 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• hednk-025e—Embryo Images at University of North Carolina