Which cranial nerve is involved in swallowing and taste?

• A. Trigeminal nerve — swallowing and taste
• B. Glossopharyngeal nerve — swallowing and taste
• C. Optic nerve — swallowing and taste
• D. Accessory nerve — swallowing and taste

Answer: (B)

Glossopharyngeal nerve is involved in both swallowing and taste. It supplies motor fibers to the stylopharyngeus muscle, helping elevate the pharynx during swallowing, and it carries sensory and taste information from the posterior one-third of the tongue. This combination links swallowing function with taste sensation in that region, which is why this nerve is the best answer.

Other nerves don’t fit as well: the trigeminal nerve is mainly motor to muscles of mastication and general sensation, not taste; the facial nerve carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue but not the pharyngeal swallowing muscles; the optic nerve handles vision; the accessory nerve controls neck muscles without involvement in taste or the swallowing mechanism.