Tongue Anatomy Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A clinician observes several leaflike mucosal folds along the posterolateral edge of the tongue. Which structures are being examined?
Vallate papillae
Filiform papillae
Fungiform papillae
Foliate papillae
2. Touch is applied to the tip of the tongue without using a flavored substance. Which nerve normally carries this general sensory information?
Hypoglossal nerve
Chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve
Glossopharyngeal nerve
Lingual nerve, a branch associated with the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve
3. Excluding the vallate papillae, which nerve pathway carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?
Chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve, traveling with the lingual nerve
Lingual nerve alone
Glossopharyngeal nerve
Hypoglossal nerve
4. Which landmark separates the anterior two-thirds of the tongue from its posterior one-third?
Lingual frenulum
Median sulcus
Terminal sulcus
Palatoglossal arch
5. A lesion at the very tip of the tongue spreads through its primary lymphatic drainage route. Which lymph nodes are most likely reached first?
Submental nodes
Submandibular nodes
Retropharyngeal nodes
Parotid nodes
6. An injury causes loss of both taste and general sensation from the posterior one-third of the tongue. Which cranial nerve is most likely affected?
Facial nerve, via the chorda tympani
Glossopharyngeal nerve
Vagus nerve
Hypoglossal nerve
7. After a right hypoglossal nerve injury, what finding is expected when the person protrudes the tongue?
The tongue deviates to the right, toward the injured side
The tongue retracts without deviating
The tongue deviates to the left, away from the injured side
The posterior tongue elevates symmetrically
8. During speech, the tongue becomes narrow and elongated without simply moving as one unit. Which muscle group primarily produces this change in shape?
Suprahyoid muscles
Muscles of the soft palate
Extrinsic tongue muscles
Intrinsic tongue muscles
9. A row of large papillae forms a V shape immediately anterior to the terminal sulcus. Which papillae are these?
Filiform papillae
Vallate papillae
Foliate papillae
Fungiform papillae
10. What is the name of the shallow external groove that runs along the midline of the anterior dorsal tongue?
Median sulcus
Terminal sulcus
Lingual septum
Sublingual fold
11. Which papillae are the most numerous on the dorsal tongue and mainly provide mechanical grip rather than containing taste buds?
Fungiform papillae
Foliate papillae
Filiform papillae
Vallate papillae
12. A person is asked to stick out the tongue during a cranial nerve examination. Which paired muscle is principally responsible for protrusion?
Styloglossus
Hyoglossus
Genioglossus
Palatoglossus
13. The foramen cecum is identified at the apex of the terminal sulcus. What developmental event does this landmark represent?
The opening of the embryonic submandibular duct
The origin of the hypoglossal nerve
The attachment point of the embryonic lingual frenulum
The site where the thyroid primordium began its descent
14. The main arterial supply to the tongue comes from which direct branch of the external carotid artery?
Facial artery
Lingual artery
Ascending pharyngeal artery
Superficial temporal artery
15. Dissolved tastants must reach the apical microvilli of taste receptor cells. Through which opening do they enter a taste bud?
Basal lamina
Lingual septum
Taste pore
Minor salivary duct
16. Most tongue muscles receive motor innervation from the hypoglossal nerve. Which muscle is the principal exception?
Genioglossus
Palatoglossus
Styloglossus
Hyoglossus