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 travels with the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve. The chorda tympani carries the taste fibers from the taste buds on the anterior tongue and then joins the lingual nerve (a branch of V3) on the way to the tongue, delivering taste sensation to the brain. It also carries preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that go to the submandibular ganglion, with postganglionic fibers reaching the submandibular and sublingual glands via the lingual nerve. By contrast, taste from the posterior third is carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve, and taste from areas like the epiglottis is carried by the vagus.

Taste from the front two-thirds of the tongue travels with the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve. The chorda tympani carries the taste fibers from the taste buds on the anterior tongue and then joins the lingual nerve (a branch of V3) on the way to the tongue, delivering taste sensation to the brain. It also carries preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that go to the submandibular ganglion, with postganglionic fibers reaching the submandibular and sublingual glands via the lingual nerve. By contrast, taste from the posterior third is carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve, and taste from areas like the epiglottis is carried by the vagus.

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