Cranial nerves that are part of the gustatory pathway include a. trigeminal. b. facial. c. hypoglossal. d. glossopharyngeal.

Gustatory ( Taste ) Pathway

• the sensory nerve fibers that arise from the taste buds are myelinated and constitute the first order neurons in the nervous pathway of taste sensation.
• those arising from the anterior 2/3 of the tongue travel in the chorda tympani ( branch of the facial 7th cranial nerve ), while those arising from the posterior 1/3 of the tongue travel by the Glossopharyngeal nerve ( 9th cranial nerve ) . on the other hand the sensory taste fibers arising from the pharynx and epiglottis are transmitted by the Vagus nerve ( 10th cranial nerve ).
• these sensory fibers unite in the medulla oblongata forming the tractus solitarius, then they relay in the nucleusof tractus solitarius.
• second order neurons start at this nucleus, cross the midline join the medial lemniscus and ascend till terminating at the posterior ventral nucleus of the thalamus,. third order neurons arise from the thalamus, pass in the sensory radiation terminate in the taste projection area of the cerebral cortex.