Which cranial nerve is responsible for the sense of smell?

Which cranial nerve is responsible for the sense of smell?

• A. Olfactory
• B. Optic
• C. Oculomotor
• D. Trochlear

Answer: (A)

The sense of smell is carried by the olfactory nerve, cranial nerve I. It begins with odor-detecting receptor cells in the nasal epithelium, whose axons pass through the cribriform plate to reach the olfactory bulb and then project to higher brain areas involved in smell. This nerve is purely sensory and has its origins in the forebrain, not the brainstem. The other nerves listed have different roles—one handles vision, and the others move eye muscles and control pupillary actions. So, the nerve responsible for smell is the olfactory nerve.

The sense of smell is carried by the olfactory nerve, cranial nerve I. It begins with odor-detecting receptor cells in the nasal epithelium, whose axons pass through the cribriform plate to reach the olfactory bulb and then project to higher brain areas involved in smell. This nerve is purely sensory and has its origins in the forebrain, not the brainstem. The other nerves listed have different roles—one handles vision, and the others move eye muscles and control pupillary actions. So, the nerve responsible for smell is the olfactory nerve.