Local anesthesia is administered at the base of a lesion on the lateral border of the tongue. Which nerve provides general sensation to this area and is being anesthetized?

The lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, providing general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, including the lateral border)
The glossopharyngeal nerve (innervates the posterior one-third of the tongue, not the lateral anterior portion)
The hypoglossal nerve (a purely motor nerve to the tongue muscles, with no general sensory function)
The facial nerve

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Correct answer: A. The lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, providing general sensation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, including the lateral border)

The lingual nerve (a branch of the mandibular division, V3, of the trigeminal nerve) provides general sensation (touch, pain, temperature) to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, including its lateral border. The glossopharyngeal nerve instead supplies the posterior one-third, and the hypoglossal nerve is purely motor, supplying the tongue's intrinsic and most extrinsic muscles with no sensory role.

Practice Anatomy & Histology questions Anatomy & Histology study notes

Local anesthesia is administered at the base of a lesion on the lateral border of the tongue. Which nerve provides general sensation to this area and is being anesthetized?

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