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Medial Branch of Lingual Nerve (Left)
Nervous System

Medial Branch of Lingual Nerve (Left)

Ramus medialis nervi lingualis

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Quick Facts

Origin: Lingual nerve.

Course: Rune medially into the ventrolateral surface of the tongue, roughly opposite the first or second mandibular molar.

Branches: None.

Supply: Conveys both general sense fibers from the mucosa of the tongue back to the trigeminal nerve, and special sense taste fibers from papillae back to the chorda tympani.

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Origin

The medial branch of the lingual nerve is a terminal branch of the lingual nerve that runs more medially into the ventrolateral surface of the tongue.

Its fibers originate in cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion or the geniculate ganglion, for general sense and special sense fibers respectively.

Course

The medial branch of the lingual nerve runs medially from into the ventrolateral surface of the tongue, roughly opposite the first or second mandibular molar. These fibers innervate tissue in this region of the tongue.

Branches

There are no named branches.

Supplied Structures

The medial branch of the lingual nerve is a sensory nerve. It conveys general sense fibers from the mucosa of the middle anterior two third of the tongue back to the trigeminal nerve.

They also convey special sense taste fibers from taste receptors of the same area back, via the lingual nerve and chorda tympani, to the facial nerve (Zur et al, 2004).

References

Zur, K. B., Mu, L. & Sanders, I. (2004) Distribution pattern of the human lingual nerve. Clin Anat, 17(2), 88-92.

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Lingual Nerve

ScienceDirect image

The lingual nerve is a branch of the mandibular division of the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve that supplies general sensation and taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.

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