All Human Anatomy and Physiology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Cranial Nerves
What is the function of cranial nerve III?
Controls the muscle that makes the eye look to the side
Carries visual information from the back of the eyes to the brain
Controls most of the muscles that move the eyeball
Controls a muscle that helps rotate the eye down and out
Controls most of the muscles that move the eyeball
Cranial nerve III is the oculomotor nerve, which controls most of the muscles needed for eye movement. Also, this nerve controls the ciliary muscle and is responsible for pupillary constriction via parasympathetic innervation. The cranial nerve that makes the eye look to the side is the abducens nerve or cranial nerve VI. The muscle that helps roate the eye down and out is the trochlear nerve or cranial nerve IV. The nerve that carries visual information from the back of the eyeballs to the brain is the optic nerve or cranial nerve II.
Example Question #11 : Cranial Nerves
Which nerve passes through the mandibular foramen?
Vagus nerve
Inferior alveolar nerve
Opthalmic nerve
Optic nerve
Linguinal nerve
Inferior alveolar nerve
The inferior alveolar nerve passes through the mandibular foramen. It has motor and sensory components. It serves to give the lower face and jaw sensation and is also responsible for stimulating the muscles for movement of the jaw.
Example Question #12 : Cranial Nerves
Which branch of the trigeminal nerve provides sensation to the upper lip?
Mandibular nerve
Cervical nerve
Ophthalmic nerve
Buccal nerve
Maxillary nerve
Maxillary nerve
The trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) is responsible for facial sensation and motor functions, such as biting and chewing. The trigeminal nerve has three major branches (hence: tri-): the ophthalmic nerve (V1), the maxillary nerve (V2), and the mandibular nerve (V3). The opthalmic and maxillary nerves are purely sensory, and the mandibular nerve has both sensory and motor functions. VI provides sensation to the forehead, upper eyelids, and the bridge and tip of the nose. V2 provides sensation lateral to the eyelids, the cheeks, nostrils, and upper lip. V3 provides sensation to the lower lip, chin, skin over the jaw, and pre-auricular area.
Example Question #13 : Cranial Nerves
Which cranial nerve(s) supply taste sensation to the tongue?
VII and IX
IX only
IX and X
VII and X
VII only
VII and IX
Cranial nerves VII and IX supply taste sensation to the tongue. Cranal nerve VII (facial) supplies taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and cranial nerve IX (glossopharyngeal) supplies somatosensation and taste to the posterior one-third of the tongue.
Example Question #14 : Cranial Nerves
The maxillary branch of cranial nerve V (trigeminal) has all of the following branches except __________.
infraorbital
zygomaticofacial
zygomaticotemporal
All of these are branches of the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.
auriculotemporal
auriculotemporal
Cranial nerve V (trigeminal) has 3 branches: ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular. Each of these branches have their own branches. The maxillary branch has 3 sub-branches named zygomaticofacial, zygomaticotemporal, and infraorbital. The mandibular branch has 3 sub-branches named auriculotemporal, buccal, and mental. The ophthamic branch has 5 sub-branches named supraorbital, supratrochlear, infraorbital, lacrimal, and external nasal.
Example Question #15 : Cranial Nerves
Which cranial nerve supplies somatic afferent sensation from the mucosa of the middle ear and visceral afferent sensation from the carotid body and carotid sinus?
VII (facial)
V (trigeminal)
XI (accessory)
IX (glossopharyngeal)
X (vagus)
IX (glossopharyngeal)
The glossopharyngeal cranial nerve functions in supplying visceral and somatic afferent sensation from the carotid body, carotid sinus, posterior one-third of the tongue, palatine tonsils, oropharynx, mucosa of the middle ear, and pharyngotympanic tube. It also supplies taste from the posterior one-third of the tongue and visceral efferent function to parotid salivary gland.
Example Question #16 : Cranial Nerves
Which of the following cranial nerves have both sensory and motor functions?
V, VI, IX, X
IV, V, VIII, X
V, VII, IX, X
V, VII, IX, XII
V, VII, X, XI
V, VII, IX, X
The four cranial nerves the have sensory and motor function are cranial nerve V (trigeminal), VII (facial), IX (glossopharyngeal), and X (vagus).
Example Question #12 : Identifying Cranial Nerve Function
Which cranial nerve is responsible for controlling the muscles that move the tongue?
Optic
Trochlear
Abducens
Vestibulocochlear
Hypoglossal
Hypoglossal
Cranial nerve XII, the hypoglossal nerve, is responsible for controlling muscles that move the tongue. The vestibulocochlear nerve is responsible for sound and balance. The abducens and trochlear are responsible for controlling extraocular muscles. The optic nerve conveys information from the photoreceptor cells of the retina of the eye.
Example Question #13 : Identifying Cranial Nerve Function
What cranial nerves are responsible for taste sensation?
7 only
5 only
12 only
7 and 9
7, 9, and 10
7, 9, and 10
Taste is unique and is controlled by the facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus cranial nerves. This can be further explained in which facial controls the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, glossopharyngeal controls the posterior one-third, and vagus innervates taste in the pharynx.
Example Question #14 : Cranial Nerves
Which of the following cranial nerves carry preganglionic parasympathetic motor fibers?
CN III
CN IX
None of these
All options (CN III, VII, and IX)
CN VII
All options (CN III, VII, and IX)
Parasympathetic nerves are autonomic branches of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These arise from some cranial nerves (that participate in cranial nuclei), the vagus nerve (although a cranial nerve, these fibers doe not participate in cranial ganglia and their parasympathetic action is directed to the thoracic cavity), and pelvic splanchnic efferent preganglionic nerve bodies.
The preganglionic parasympathetic nerves of CN III, CN VII, and CN IX arise from nuclei in the CNS. These fibers go on to synapse at one of four parasympathetic ganglia: ciliary, pterygopalatine, submandibular, or otic and provide parasympathetic function to the head and neck.