Which nerve provides general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

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Multiple Choice

Which nerve provides general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

General sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue is carried by the lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. It provides touch, pain, and temperature from the mucosa of that region. Taste there travels with the chorda tympani (a branch of the facial nerve) hitchhiking on the lingual nerve to reach the brain, but the actual taste fibers are separate from the somatic sensory fibers. The posterior one-third receives general sensation from the glossopharyngeal nerve, motor to the tongue comes from the hypoglossal nerve, and the vagus nerve supplies other areas like the epiglottis region.

General sensation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue is carried by the lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. It provides touch, pain, and temperature from the mucosa of that region. Taste there travels with the chorda tympani (a branch of the facial nerve) hitchhiking on the lingual nerve to reach the brain, but the actual taste fibers are separate from the somatic sensory fibers. The posterior one-third receives general sensation from the glossopharyngeal nerve, motor to the tongue comes from the hypoglossal nerve, and the vagus nerve supplies other areas like the epiglottis region.

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