Skip to main content
Ch. 17 The Special Senses
Martini - Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology 12th Edition
Martini, Nath, Bartholomew12th EditionFundamentals of Anatomy and PhysiologyISBN: 9780137854011Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksMartini, Nath, Bartholomew 12th EditionCh. 17 The Special SensesProblem 13
Chapter 17, Problem 13

Auditory information about the frequency and intensity of stimulation is relayed to the CNS over the cochlear nerve, a division of cranial nerve
(a) IV
(b) VI
(c) VIII
(d) X

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the question is asking which cranial nerve carries auditory information about frequency and intensity to the central nervous system (CNS).
Step 2: Recall that the auditory system transmits sound information from the cochlea in the inner ear to the brain via a specific cranial nerve.
Step 3: Identify the cranial nerves involved in sensory and motor functions. The cochlear nerve is part of the vestibulocochlear nerve, which is cranial nerve VIII.
Step 4: Recognize that cranial nerve VIII (vestibulocochlear nerve) has two divisions: the cochlear nerve (for hearing) and the vestibular nerve (for balance).
Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is cranial nerve VIII, as it carries auditory information about frequency and intensity to the CNS.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Video duration:
2m
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Cranial Nerves and Their Functions

Cranial nerves are twelve pairs of nerves that emerge directly from the brain, each with specific sensory or motor functions. Understanding their roles helps identify which nerve carries particular types of sensory information, such as auditory signals.
Recommended video:
Guided course
8:20
Overview of Cranial Bones

Cochlear Nerve

The cochlear nerve is a branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII) responsible for transmitting auditory information from the cochlea in the inner ear to the central nervous system. It conveys data about sound frequency and intensity.
Recommended video:
Guided course
2:25
Nerves and Blood Supply

Auditory Pathway to the CNS

Auditory information is processed through a pathway starting at the cochlea, traveling via the cochlear nerve to the brainstem and higher auditory centers. This pathway enables the perception of sound characteristics like pitch and loudness.
Recommended video:
4:40
Alternative Pathway
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Receptors in the saccule and utricle provide sensations of

(a) Angular acceleration

(b) Hearing

(c) Vibration

(d) Gravity and linear acceleration and deceleration

1
views
Textbook Question

The spiral organ is located in the_______of the internal ear.

(a) utricle

(b) bony labyrinth

(c) vestibule

(d) cochlea

Textbook Question

What are the four types of papillae on the human tongue?

1
views
Textbook Question

What are the three auditory ossicles in the middle ear, and what are their functions?

Textbook Question

Identify the structures of the external, middle, and internal ear in the following figure.

a. ___

b. ___

c. ___

d. ___

e. ___

f. ___

g. ___

h. ___

i. ___

2
views
Textbook Question

Displacement of stereocilia toward the kinocilium of a hair cell

(a) Produces a depolarization of the membrane

(b) Produces a hyperpolarization of the membrane

(c) Decreases the membrane permeability to sodium ions

(d) Increases the membrane permeability to potassium ions

(e) Does not affect the membrane potential of the cell