Question

Hypoglossal is an/a-
A) Afferent nerve
B) Efferent nerve
C) Mixed nerve
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: As we all know that hypoglossal is a nerve responsible for movement of the tongue. It has to be an efferent nerve which carries impulses away from the central nervous system.

Complete answer:
The term hypoglossal is made up from 2 Greek words, hypo (under) and glossa (tongue), which translates to the passage below the tongue. It is a cranial nerve positioned at the twelfth position. Its function is to innervate all the extrinsic as well as intrinsic muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossal (innervated by the vagus nerve). It solely has a motor function which is carried out by efferent nerves. The hypoglossal nucleus gives rise to hypoglossal in the medulla as numerous small rootlets, passing through the hypoglossal canal through the neck, eventually passing over the tongue muscles.
The nerve controls the movement of the tongue necessary for speech and swallowing. The outward-inward movement and the side to side movements are controlled by it. The ability of the tongue to move and its appearance can be affected by damage in the nerve or the neural pathways which control it. The most common sources of damage can be injury from trauma or surgery, and motor neuron disease.

Thus, the correct answer is- B. Efferent nerve .

Note:-Hypoglossal is a cranial nerve required for movements of the tongue. It carries out a motor function by carrying impulses from the central nervous system to the tongue and is therefore categorized as an efferent nerve. Afferent nerves are those which brinks signals to the central nervous system.