The nerve that supplies motor to all muscles of facial expression is which?

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Multiple Choice

The nerve that supplies motor to all muscles of facial expression is which?

Motor control of all facial expression muscles comes from the facial nerve. This nerve, CN VII, provides the motor signals to the muscles that contour the face—frontalis, orbicularis oculi, zygomaticus, buccinator, orbicularis oris, platysma, and others—allowing us to smile, frown, blink, and grimace. It travels from the brainstem, traverses the facial canal, and exits the skull at the stylomastoid foramen to give branches that reach these muscles. Other nerves have different roles: the trigeminal nerve mainly handles muscles of mastication and facial sensation, while the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves deal with pharyngeal/tongue functions. That’s why the nerve responsible for motor to all facial expression muscles is the facial nerve.

Motor control of all facial expression muscles comes from the facial nerve. This nerve, CN VII, provides the motor signals to the muscles that contour the face—frontalis, orbicularis oculi, zygomaticus, buccinator, orbicularis oris, platysma, and others—allowing us to smile, frown, blink, and grimace. It travels from the brainstem, traverses the facial canal, and exits the skull at the stylomastoid foramen to give branches that reach these muscles. Other nerves have different roles: the trigeminal nerve mainly handles muscles of mastication and facial sensation, while the glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal nerves deal with pharyngeal/tongue functions. That’s why the nerve responsible for motor to all facial expression muscles is the facial nerve.

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