The 12th nerve is the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). It's responsible for controlling the movement of most of the muscles in your tongue. It's a motor nerve, meaning it carries signals from your brain to your muscles.
The hypoglossal nerve originates from the medulla, a part of the brainstem, and exits the skull through the hypoglossal canal. It then travels to the muscles of the tongue, including the genioglossus, hyoglossus, and styloglossus muscles. These muscles are responsible for a variety of tongue movements, such as sticking out your tongue, moving it side to side, and swallowing.
Some examples of what the hypoglossal nerve does include:
- Speaking: The hypoglossal nerve allows you to move your tongue to form words.
- Chewing: The tongue helps to move food around in your mouth during chewing.
- Swallowing: The hypoglossal nerve helps to move food from your mouth to your throat.
If the hypoglossal nerve is damaged, it can lead to problems with speech, chewing, and swallowing. This can also lead to difficulty speaking clearly, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing.
