High School

Name the afferent and efferent for the corneal reflex.

1) Optic nerve and facial nerve
2) Facial nerve and trigeminal nerve
3) Trigeminal nerve and optic nerve
4) Facial nerve and oculomotor nerve

Answer :

Final answer:

The afferent and efferent nerves for the corneal reflex are the trigeminal nerve and facial nerve, respectively. The trigeminal nerve carries sensory information from the cornea, while the facial nerve mediates the motor response for blinking.

Explanation:

The correct answer for the afferent and efferent nerves involved in the corneal reflex is trigeminal nerve and facial nerve. In the corneal reflex, the sensory (afferent) pathway is mediated by the trigeminal nerve (CN V), which carries somatosensory information from the cornea. When the cornea is stimulated, it sends a signal via the trigeminal nerve to the brain. The motor (efferent) response is then mediated by the facial nerve (CN VII), which innervates the muscles responsible for blinking, including the orbicularis oculi muscle.

In contrast, the pupillary light reflex involves the optic nerve (CN II) as the sensory (afferent) pathway and the oculomotor nerve (CN III) as the motor (efferent) pathway, influencing the pupil's constriction in response to bright light. This is not to be confused with the corneal reflex, which has a different neural pathway involving the trigeminal and facial nerves.