Which cranial nerve carries the sense of smell?

Which cranial nerve carries the sense of smell?

• A. II
• B. I
• C. VIII
• D. III

Answer: (B)

Smell is carried by the olfactory nerve, the first cranial nerve, which is a purely sensory pathway from the nasal mucosa to the brain. Its fibers pass through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb and then onward to higher brain areas involved in odor perception. The other nerves listed handle different functions—vision is carried by the optic nerve, hearing and balance by the vestibulocochlear nerve, and most eye movements by the oculomotor nerve—so they do not convey olfactory information.

Smell is carried by the olfactory nerve, the first cranial nerve, which is a purely sensory pathway from the nasal mucosa to the brain. Its fibers pass through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb and then onward to higher brain areas involved in odor perception. The other nerves listed handle different functions—vision is carried by the optic nerve, hearing and balance by the vestibulocochlear nerve, and most eye movements by the oculomotor nerve—so they do not convey olfactory information.