Which of the 12 cranial nerves is involved in Bell's palsy and may be damaged during parotidectomy procedures?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The seventh (VII) cranial nerve is the facial nerve and supplies the musculature of the face and the sensation of taste for the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It originates in the brainstem, passes through the skull with the eighth nerve by way of the internal acoustic meatus, continues along the facial canal, and exits just posterior to the parotid gland. The nerve may be damaged by surgical procedures in the vicinity of the parotid gland. Bell's palsy, a facial lower motor neuron paralysis, can affect the seventh nerve. The third (III) cranial nerve is the oculomotor nerve and is a motor nerve that innervates the muscles of the eye. The fifth (V) cranial nerve is the trigeminal nerve, which is a mixed nerve with sensory supply to the forehead, eyes, face, jaw, teeth, and other facial structures and innervates the muscles of mastication. The twelfth (XII) cranial nerve is the hypoglossal nerve and innervates the musculature of the tongue.

Which of the 12 Cranial Nerves Is Involved in Bell's