Which cranial nerve provides taste to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue?

• A. CN II
• B. CN V
• C. CN VII
• D. CN IX

Answer: (C)

Taste for the anterior two-thirds of the tongue is carried by the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). These special nerve fibers hitchhike on the lingual nerve (a branch of V3) to reach the tongue mucosa and convey taste to the brain, ultimately traveling to the solitary nucleus. The front two-thirds also receive general sensation via the lingual nerve, but that somatic sense is separate from taste and is carried by the trigeminal system, not the taste fibers. In contrast, taste to the posterior one-third of the tongue is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve, and taste from areas like the epiglottis is via the vagus. This combination explains why the anterior tongue’s taste is linked to the facial nerve.