Nerves · Nervous System · Hard
Hypoglossal
Meaning: The 12th cranial nerve controlling tongue movement.
In practice: Damage to the hypoglossal nerve causes the tongue to deviate on protrusion.
Word parts
- hypo- means below or less than normal
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related nerves words.
Which word means: The 5th cranial nerve providing sensation to the face.
Answer: Trigeminal
Which word means: A nerve of the arm running alongside the radius bone.
Answer: Radial
Words like hypoglossal come up in the daily game
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