The cell bodies for taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue are located in which ganglion?

• A. Trigeminal ganglion
• B. Inferior glossopharyngeal ganglion
• C. Geniculate ganglion
• D. Otic ganglion

Answer: (C)

Taste coming from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue travels with the chorda tympani, a branch of the facial nerve. The cell bodies for these taste fibers are located in the geniculate ganglion, the sensory (special visceral afferent) ganglion of CN VII, inside the facial canal in the temporal bone. From the geniculate ganglion, the central processes proceed to the solitary nucleus to relay taste information to the brain. This contrasts with taste from the posterior one-third of the tongue, which uses the glossopharyngeal nerve and has its cell bodies in the inferior glossopharyngeal (petrosal) ganglion. The other two options correspond to different roles: the trigeminal ganglion handles general somatic sensation from the face and anterior tongue (not taste), and the otic ganglion is a parasympathetic relay for the parotid gland.