AEMCA Practice Exam

What is cranial nerve 1 responsible for?

1. Control of eye movement

2. Sensation of taste

3. Sense of smell

4. Control of hearing

The correct answer is: Sense of smell

Cranial nerve 1, also known as the olfactory nerve, is specifically responsible for the sense of smell. This nerve is crucial for processing olfactory information, allowing individuals to detect and identify different odors. It consists of sensory neurons that extend from the nasal cavity to the olfactory bulbs in the brain, which then transmit signals related to smell for interpretation. While the other options refer to functions associated with different cranial nerves—such as eye movement being controlled by cranial nerves 3, 4, and 6, taste sensation which is primarily associated with cranial nerves 7, 9, and 10, and hearing which is linked to cranial nerve 8—these functions are not related to cranial nerve 1. The olfactory nerve's singular focus on olfaction distinctly sets it apart as the nerve responsible exclusively for the sense of smell.