Final answer:
The innervation of the hyoid muscles is complex, with the suprahyoid muscles receiving innervation from multiple cranial nerves such as the trigeminal nerve, facial nerve, and hypoglossal nerve, while the infrahyoid muscles are innervated by the ansa cervicalis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The muscles that control the positions of the larynx and the hyoid bone, important for swallowing and speech, are innervated by different nerves. Suprahyoid muscles, which include the digastric, stylohyoid, mylohyoid, and geniohyoid muscles, are generally innervated by a few cranial nerves, including the trigeminal nerve (CN V) for the mylohyoid and anterior belly of the digastric muscle, the facial nerve (CN VII) for the posterior belly of the digastric and the stylohyoid muscle, and the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) for the geniohyoid muscle. The infrahyoid muscles are innervated by the ansa cervicalis, which is not a cranial nerve but a loop of nerves part of the cervical plexus.
It is worth mentioning that the hypoglossal nerve, which is responsible for controlling the muscles of the tongue, may also contribute to the control of the suprahyoid muscles that are related closely to tongue movements.