What cranial nerves pass through the hypoglossal canal?

What cranial nerves pass through the hypoglossal canal?

• A. CN IX (9)
• B. CN XII (12)
• C. CN X (10)
• D. CN XI (11)

Answer: (B)

The hypoglossal canal transmits the hypoglossal nerve, CN XII. This nerve is the motor supply to most of the tongue muscles, traveling from the brainstem and exiting the skull specifically through this canal to reach the tongue. The other nerves listed—glossopharyngeal (IX), vagus (X), and accessory (XI)—exit the skull through the jugular foramen, not the hypoglossal canal. So CN XII is the nerve that passes through the hypoglossal canal.

The hypoglossal canal transmits the hypoglossal nerve, CN XII. This nerve is the motor supply to most of the tongue muscles, traveling from the brainstem and exiting the skull specifically through this canal to reach the tongue. The other nerves listed—glossopharyngeal (IX), vagus (X), and accessory (XI)—exit the skull through the jugular foramen, not the hypoglossal canal. So CN XII is the nerve that passes through the hypoglossal canal.