A nurse is performing an ear assessment. The nurse applies pressure to the client's tragus as part of the assessment. Click on the area in the image below that represents the tragus.

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The external ear (auricle) is composed of several anatomical landmarks that are important during assessment. The tragus is a small cartilaginous projection located just anterior to the external auditory canal. Applying pressure to the tragus is commonly done to assess for pain, which may indicate conditions such as otitis externa.

Rationale:
A. The tragus is the small, rounded cartilage flap located in front of the ear canal opening. It is the structure pressed during assessment to evaluate for tenderness or pain.

B. The helix is the curved outer rim of the ear that forms the visible outer border of the auricle and is not involved in tragus pressure assessment.

C. The external auditory meatus is the opening of the ear canal leading inward toward the tympanic membrane, not the external cartilage that is palpated.

Tongue movement is primarily controlled by cranial nerve XII (hypoglossal nerve), which innervates intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles responsible for articulation, swallowing, and midline protrusion. Proper function reflects intact motor innervation without unilateral weakness or deviation.

Rationale:

A. Loss of CN XII function results in tongue deviation toward the affected side due to unopposed action of the contralateral genioglossus muscle. Atrophy, fasciculations, and impaired articulation may also be present. A midline protrusion would not be expected in dysfunction.

B. Intact CN XII is indicated by a tongue that protrudes straight midline without deviation. This reflects normal hypoglossal nerve motor function and balanced muscular activity of both sides of the tongue during voluntary movement.

C. CN IX (glossopharyngeal nerve) is primarily responsible for taste sensation in the posterior one-third of the tongue and swallowing reflexes. It does not control tongue protrusion, so its dysfunction would not affect midline movement.

D. Intact CN IX relates to normal gag reflex and posterior tongue sensation but does not influence tongue motor control. Midline protrusion is not dependent on glossopharyngeal nerve integrity, making this option incorrect.