Final answer:
The cranial nerve associated with hearing and equilibrium is the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII), comprised of the cochlear nerve for hearing and the vestibular nerve for balance. Damage to this nerve can affect hearing, balance, or both.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cranial nerve concerned with hearing and equilibrium is known as the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII). This nerve carries both auditory (hearing) and vestibular (balance) information from the inner ear to the brain. The component responsible for hearing is the cochlear nerve, whereas the part that deals with balance is the vestibular nerve.
When referring to auditory sensation, the cochlear nerve transduces sound waves into neural signals and is responsible for carrying these auditory inputs to the brain. As for equilibrium, the vestibular system, which includes the utricle, saccule, and the three semicircular canals situated in the vestibule of the inner ear, sends signals about head movement and spatial orientation via the vestibular nerve.
Damage to the vestibulocochlear nerve can lead to deficits in hearing, balance, or both. The sensory nerves from these two structures travel together through the internal auditory meatus before synapsing in the superior medulla's nuclei. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is c) Auditory nerve, which is part of the vestibulocochlear nerve.