Final answer:
The vestibulocochlear nerve transmits hearing impulses to the brain, while the facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves are responsible for taste sensations and transmitting these signals to the brain for processing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cranial nerves responsible for the transmission of auditory nerve impulses to the brain for hearing are the vestibulocochlear nerves (also known as cranial nerve VIII). This process underlies what is called sensorineural hearing loss when it is impaired.
For taste sensations, the cranial nerves involved are primarily the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), which connects to taste buds in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, and the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX), which connects to taste buds in the posterior third. In addition, the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) connects to taste buds in the extreme posterior of the tongue and is also involved in the gag reflex. Taste signals travel from the taste buds to the medulla in the brainstem, then to the thalamus, and finally to the primary gustatory cortex where they are processed.