Which cranial nerve mediates taste for the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

• A. Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
• B. Vagus nerve (CN X)
• C. Trigeminal nerve (CN V)
• D. Facial nerve (CN VII)

Answer: (D)

Taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue is carried by fibers in the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve. These taste signals ride along with the lingual nerve to reach the brain, where they terminate in the solitary nucleus and then project to the thalamus and gustatory cortex. The posterior third of the tongue gets taste through the glossopharyngeal nerve, while the vagus nerve handles taste from the epiglottis and parts of the pharynx. General sensation in the anterior two-thirds is provided by the trigeminal nerve, but taste in this region specifically involves the facial nerve.