Which nerve carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

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Multiple Choice

Which nerve carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

Taste from the front two-thirds of the tongue is carried by the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve (CN VII). These taste fibers travel with the lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve) to reach the anterior two-thirds, but unlike general sensation, taste uses this VII pathway. The lingual nerve itself handles only general somatic sensation from that region, not taste. In contrast, taste from the posterior one-third of the tongue is via the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), and taste to the region at the root of the tongue and epiglottis is via the vagus nerve (CN X).

Taste from the front two-thirds of the tongue is carried by the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve (CN VII). These taste fibers travel with the lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve) to reach the anterior two-thirds, but unlike general sensation, taste uses this VII pathway. The lingual nerve itself handles only general somatic sensation from that region, not taste. In contrast, taste from the posterior one-third of the tongue is via the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), and taste to the region at the root of the tongue and epiglottis is via the vagus nerve (CN X).

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