Which CN VII branch carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

• A. Chorda tympani
• B. Greater petrosal nerve
• C. Nerve to the pterygoid canal
• D. Tympanic nerve

Answer: (A)

Taste fibers from the front two-thirds of the tongue travel with the chorda tympani, a branch of CN VII. The chorda tympani departs from the facial nerve inside the facial canal, passes through the middle ear, exits via the petrotympanic fissure, and then joins the lingual nerve (a branch of V3) in the infratemporal region. From there, the taste information is carried to the brain via the facial nerve pathway while the chorda tympani also brings preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the submandibular ganglion to stimulate salivary glands. The other nerves mentioned are autonomic pathways: the greater petrosal nerve goes to the pterygopalatine ganglion, the nerve to the pterygoid canal conveys autonomic fibers, and the tympanic nerve is tied to the glossopharyngeal pathway and parotid parasympathetics—none of these carry taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.