Final answer:
Swallowing muscles are innervated by cranial nerves, including the trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves as well as the enteric nervous system's myenteric and submucosal plexuses. Extrinsic muscles of tongue contribute to positioning and manipulation of food for swallowing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The muscles that are involved in swallowing are innervated by various cranial nerves, including the trigeminal nerve (CN V) for the muscles of chewing; the facial nerve (CN VII) for controlling facial expressions related to the oral cavity; the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) for taste and sensations of the pharyngeal walls; and the vagus nerve (CN X) for the motor control of swallowing and speech-related muscle movements in the pharynx and larynx.
In addition to the cranial nerves, the enteric nervous system plays a role in the innervation of swallowing through the myenteric plexus and the submucosal plexus, which are involved in motility and regulation of the alimentary canal, including the esophagus where the swallowing reflex begins. The extrinsic muscles of the tongue, such as the palatoglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, and genioglossus, are important for the movement and manipulation of food in the mouth prior to swallowing.